US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT4293

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 004293 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, KDEM, KISL, SOCI, KU, FREEDOM AGENDA 
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: REDUCTION OF ELECTORAL DISTRICTS 
BACK ON THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 4190 
 
     B. KUWAIT 4186 
     C. KUWAIT 4008 
     D. KUWAIT 3873 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary and comment: Reducing the number of 
electoral districts from 25 to 10 is a top priority for 
reform-minded parliamentarians (MPs) in the next National 
Assembly session, which begins October 17.  They argue that 
the reduction would reduce electoral corruption by making 
common practices like vote buying more difficult and bolster 
a more open, democratic political system.  A reform agenda 
agreed on by the majority of Kuwait's diverse political 
associations indicates that there is strong support for 
electoral reform (ref. A).  An Arabic-language television 
program entitled "Priorities of the National Assembly in the 
Next Session" aired October 1 on Kuwait television and 
featured three guests from across the political spectrum: 
Khaled Al-Sultan, a former MP and Chairman of the Traditional 
Salafi political association; Abdul Mohsen Jamal, a former MP 
from the National Islamic Alliance (NIA), a conservative 
Shi'a political association with ties to Iran; and Imad 
Al-Saif, a liberal lawyer.  Though disagreeing on other 
issues, the three agreed that amending the electoral 
districts was crucial to political reform in Kuwait. 
National Guard Chief and ruling family member Shaykh Salem 
Al-Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah called for electoral reform in a 
September 26 interview published in Arabic-language daily 
Al-Qabas. 
 
2.  (C) Comment: While the Government has publicly supported 
electoral reform and even submitted two proposals on reducing 
the number of electoral districts to the National Assembly 
during its last session, some observers question the 
Government's sincerity, noting the GOK failed to lobby for 
change and arguing the Government could lose considerable 
influence in the National Assembly if the reform was 
implemented.  MPs with vested interests in the status quo are 
likely to put up strong opposition to reform, setting the 
stage for an intense political debate.  (End summary and 
comment.) 
 
Electoral Reform Returns to Legislative Agenda 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
3.  (SBU) Emboffs have confirmed that reducing the number of 
electoral districts from 25 to 10, a key component of the 
political reform agenda agreed upon by the majority of 
Kuwait's political associations (ref. A), will be on the 
legislative agenda when the National Assembly reconvenes 
October 17.  Numerous contacts from across the political 
spectrum have stressed the importance of reducing the number 
of districts to stem electoral corruption, especially the 
practice of vote buying, which is alleged to be common in 
some electoral districts in Kuwait.  The reduction would 
force parliamentarians to compete for support among a larger 
pool of voters, thus limiting their ability to engineer 
election outcomes, and helping to forge greater consensus in 
the National Assembly on broad policy issues. 
 
4.  (SBU) In an October 1 television program broadcast on 
Kuwait TV Channel 1, the official government television 
station, and entitled "Priorities of the National Assembly in 
the Next Session," three guests from across the ideological 
spectrum in Kuwait agreed that electoral reform is critical 
to political reform.  The program featured former MP and 
Chairman of the Traditional Salafi political association 
Khaled Al-Sultan, former MP from the conservative, pro-Iran, 
Shi'a National Islamic Alliance (NIA) Abdul Mohsen Jamal, and 
liberal lawyer Imad Al-Saif.  Jamal criticized the lack of 
clear and consistent parliamentary priorities, faulting the 
Government for interfering in the National Assembly and for 
playing parliamentarians against each other.  If the 
Government is serious about reform, it will approve a 
reduction in the number of electoral districts, Jamal argued. 
 He also emphasized the need to increase democratic awareness 
in Kuwait. 
 
5.  (SBU) Al-Sultan blasted both the Government and MPs for 
rampant corruption, arguing that some MPs were positioning 
themselves against issues just to force the Government to pay 
for their support.  Electoral reform is an important 
first-step in implementing broader political reform, 
Al-Sultan argued.  Without these reforms, nothing will 
improve, he warned.  Al-Saif expressed disappointment about 
National Assembly politics, which he said were characterized 
by a "culture of appeasing and satisfying the voter." 
Electoral corruption could be prevented through political 
reform, specifically reducing the number of electoral 
districts, he argued.  Without electoral reform, Al-Saif said 
he would remain pessimistic about Government efforts to 
combat corruption. 
 
Top Al-Sabah Backs Reform 
------------------------- 
 
6.  (C) Shaykh Salem Al-Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the National 
Guard Chief and the third highest ranking royal family 
member, came out in support of electoral reform in a 
September 26 interview published in the pro-reform 
Arabic-language daily Al-Qabas.  In the interview, Shaykh 
Salem Al-Ali called for "amending the constituencies" and for 
allowing military personnel the right to vote, which is 
currently denied.  If these reforms are implemented, there 
would be a "great change in Kuwaiti democracy for the 
better," he argued. 
 
Nostalgia for the Way It Used to Be 
----------------------------------- 
 
7.  (SBU) Until 1980, parliamentary elections in Kuwait were 
conducted on a ten district system with five MPs elected from 
each district.  Under this system, election campaigns were 
based primarily on issues of national concern, and less on 
sectarian or tribal affiliations.  An average of five 
neighborhoods were incorporated in each electoral district 
ensuring voter diversity.  No more than four of the ten 
districts were characterized by strong tribal affiliations. 
 
8.  (SBU) When the election law was changed by Amiri Decree 
in 1980, during a period when the National Assembly was 
dissolved, tribalism and sectarianism gained greater 
significance in Kuwaiti politics.  The number of districts 
with strong tribal identity rose to 13 out of 25.  Electoral 
corruption also increased sharply as electoral margins 
dropped; the smaller districts allowed both individual MPs 
and the Government to influence a limited number of voters. 
The number of "service deputies," MPs whose support was based 
almost solely on doing political favors for their 
constituents, also increased markedly. 
 
9.  (SBU) During the last National Assembly session, the 
Government introduced two proposals to reduce the number of 
electoral districts.  When MPs and the Government could not 
agree on which proposal to discuss first, the issue was 
dropped and the proposals sidelined.  While the Government 
faulted the National Assembly, some observers questioned the 
Government's commitment to reform, speculating that the 
proposals may have been designed to undermine support for a 
separate National Assembly proposal.  After all, some 
contacts point out, the Government could lose considerable 
influence in the National Assembly if the number of electoral 
districts is reduced.  In addition, a significant number of 
incumbent MPs may calculate that they are unlikely to be 
re-elected if their safe seats are incorporated into larger 
districts. 
 
10.  (SBU) Our contacts insist that reducing the number of 
electoral districts from 25 to 10 will promote more open and 
democratic elections as MPs are forced to appeal to a wider 
range of voters.  Many would like to see an even lower number 
of districts, arguing that five, or even one district would 
be adequate for Kuwait' relatively small population of 
voters.  However, consensus has emerged that ten is 
politically feasible. 
 
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