US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT3213

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003213 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, ECON, KU 
SUBJECT: SHAYKH SABAH OPENS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; GOK FOCUSED 
ON ECONOMIC REFORM 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones, reasons 1.5 b and d. 
 
1.  (U) In a brief July 19 speech on behalf of the Amir 
opening the inaugural session of the tenth National Assembly, 
newly appointed Kuwaiti Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah al-Ahmed 
al-Sabah offered an olive branch to the new parliament and 
laid out his government's priorities.  He began by stressing 
the need for cooperation to confront the challenges offered 
by recent events in the region and professed the government's 
readiness to work with the National Assembly on economic 
reform and constructing a base for "true democracy." He 
welcomed differences of opinion and constructive criticism, 
which he saw as furthering Kuwait's development as a state 
based on institutions.  Finally, before enumerating the 
government's priorities, he stressed that they were open for 
discussion and should be set in consultation with the Kuwaiti 
people. 
 
2.  (U) Without going into any specifics, Shaykh Sabah then 
mentioned the following priorities, in order from highest to 
lowest: 
 
-- ensuring the safety and security of the country; 
-- mobilizing youth to invigorate the economy; 
-- developing further the oil sector; 
-- confronting demographical factors; 
-- improving the utilization of the work force through 
increased employment opportunities; 
-- continuing administrative reform; 
-- providing adequate housing; 
-- improving the general level of education; 
-- expanding and broadening health services; 
-- protecting the environment. 
 
3.  (U) On the conclusion of the speech the session adjourned 
for a few minutes to allow the diplomatic corps and other 
dignitaries to clear the gallery before the National Assembly 
began its work.  The first order of business was to elect its 
leadership, there was then to be a debate of the Amir's 
speech and consideration of a new law on the municipal 
council left over from the previous session.  It was not 
clear whether this work could be completed in one day or 
whether it would extend over the next day or two.  At its 
conclusion, the National Assembly will adjourn for the summer 
holidays until mid-October. 
 
4.  (C) Comment: Although completely lacking in specifics, 
one can read between the lines of the speech to conclude that 
the GOK will likely focus more on economic than on political 
reform, at least at the outset of the new parliamentary 
session.  Fully six of the government's priorities are 
designed to confront the same problem: how to integrate the 
country's rising generation of young people productively into 
national economic life.  Sixty percent of the population is 
now less than 25 years of age and 93 percent of the Kuwaiti 
workforce is already employed in the public sector one way or 
another.  In order to provide jobs for the next generation 
there is no alternative to expanding opportunities in the 
private sector.  If the government can persuade the National 
Assembly of this reality it will make it much more easy to 
promote reform.  The goal clearly is to convince its critics 
that it is undertaking reform for the sake of Kuwait rather 
than as a response to international pressure. 
JONES