US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT2704

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 002704 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, PA, INR/NESA, 
IIP/G/NEA-SA, INR/B 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
CINCCENT FOR CCPA 
USDOC FOR 4520/ANESA/ONE/FITZGERALD-WILKS 
USDOC FOR ITA AND PTO/OLIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KU, KDMR 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION: GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION AND 
INFLUENCE PEDDLING; INDICTMENT OF KUWAITI EDITOR 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY: Op/ed by Ambassador Jones on the Middle East 
Roadmap receives fulsome coverage in today's print media, 
including four Arabic and two English newspapers. 
 
Charges of corruption and governmental malfeasance dominate 
all Arabic dailies over the past week as the country 
prepares for July 5 parliamentary elections.  Indignation 
against the government for preferring charges against a 
Kuwaiti editor for slandering the ruling family continues 
apace, with liberal Kuwait University professor Ahmed al- 
Baghdadi--himself once imprisoned for lese majeste--penning 
a harsh attack on the Minister of Information for allegedly 
asserting that the ruling family of Kuwait "gave" the 
country democracy. END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  HEADLINES: 
 
--All newspapers (6/16):  De facto Prime Minister and 
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed, called 
for combating wasta (influence) in the government body and 
said that:  "for every wasta, someone's right goes to 
waste." 
 
--All newspapers (6/16):  Cabinet discussed corruption 
issues and the freezing of recent decision undertaken by 
elected Ministers who will be running for elections. 
 
--All newspapers (6/16):  National Assembly Speaker, Jassim 
Al-Khorafi, also a candidate for parliamentary elections 
called on the ruling family to settle any issues they have 
through decisive decisions.  Al-Khorafi argued that the 
National Assembly was beginning to lose its credibility with 
Kuwaiti citizens. 
 
--Al-Watan (6/14):  Journalists without Borders sent a 
letter to Minister of Information, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahd, 
expressing concern for referring Editor-in-Chief of Arabic 
daily Al-Watan, Mohammed Al-Jassim, to the Public 
Prosecutor.   (Front page) 
 
--Al-Qabas (6/14):  conducted a poll among 800 Kuwaitis 
whereby 85% said they think that corruption in Kuwait is 
"extremely serious" or "serious". 
 
--All newspapers (6/18):  the Kuwaiti Journalists 
Association called on Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed to withdraw the 
government's claim against the editor-in-chief of Al-Watan 
newspaper who was recently referred to the Public Prosecutor 
and charged with contesting the Amir's authorities.  The 
association argued that the decision reflects negatively on 
Kuwait's democratic image, especially during the elections 
time. 
 
3.  Liberal Saud Al-Samaka wrote in independent Al-Qabas 
(6/18):  Influence (wasta) has reached the core the core of 
this society and has contaminated it with corruption.. 
Influence has deprived our youths of the spirit of 
initiation and national loyalty.  It has also shed a 
negative light on society to the extent that our country is 
now being characterized as anarchic and as a society of 
thieves and bribes.." 
 
4.  Liberal Nabeel Al-Fadl wrote in independent Al-Rai Al- 
Aam (6/18):  "We must agree that funding election campaigns 
is a legitimate right and a proper application of the 
democratic process.  The President of the United States has 
earned his elected office through funding by various groups 
that saw him as their best representative.  This is the same 
for all members of the Congress and the Senate..  Therefore, 
funding election campaigns is a legitimate, democratic 
process in principle.  Yet, what is forbidden is using 
public funds or charity donations to fund these campaigns. 
The money paid must come from private sources and donations 
by those who see that the candidate represents their best 
interests.  Even such donations must have a ceiling in order 
not to exceed the real need of election campaigns and 
therefore deviate from their proper cause and legitimate 
path..  In order to achieve that, we must have transparency 
and must announce the source of funding and the amount of 
each donation in comparison with the actual expenses of the 
campaign.  This process must also be monitored by a judicial 
committer to monitor and audit." 
 
5.  Kuwait University professor, Hasan Abdulla Abbas, wrote 
in independent Al-Rai Al-Aam (6/16):  "We never expected the 
government to accuse elected ministers of being deficient in 
their duties and that corruption has dominated their 
ministries due to election interests...  Unfortunately, 
corruption has spread throughout the government body and 
from the top to the bottom of the ministerial hierarchy.. 
It is also disgusting to witness the class system in our 
National Assembly.  Members of parliament are more biased 
towards their blue blood, instead of defending principles 
and the rights of citizens." 
 
6.  Parliament in Kuwait Lacks a Vision and Opposes Reform 
Liberal political science professor, Dr. Shafeeq Al-Ghabra, 
wrote in independent Al-Rai Al-Aam (6/16):  "Kuwait is 
carrying heavy burdens that are hindering its development. 
Its first burden is a parliament that lacks reform and where 
many of its members do not believe in freedom of thought and 
equality, not only between men and women, but also between 
one human being and the other.  What is more dangerous is 
that the nature of the election system (vote buying and lack 
of laws that allow political parties) is in dire need for 
reform." 
 
7.  Liberal Kuwait University Political Science professor, 
Dr. Ahmed Al-Baghdadi, wrote in independent Al-Seyassa 
(6/16):  "The Minister of Information is trying, through his 
statements, to state that the democracy enjoyed by the 
Kuwaiti people since 1963 was brought on by the ruling 
family.  This is a flagrant canard that the ruling family 
should not allow the young minister to foist onto the 
Kuwaiti people..  It is not the right of the Minister of 
Information or others to present democracy as if it had been 
bestowed on us.  Unfortunately, the Kuwaiti people have lost 
their courage in defending their constitutional rights.  In 
reality, I am not astonished by the statements made by the 
Minister of Information.  It seems that excessive contact 
with the religious current leads to such thoughts, 
especially impatience with democracy..  The Kuwaiti people 
do not beg for their democracy from you Mr. Minister. 
Instead, they derive it from the constitution that holds you 
accountable.  Yet, if your statements are derived from your 
capacity as a member of the ruling family, then know that 
the constitution does not grant you this right, neither does 
it grant it to others regardless of their power."