Cablegate: Afghan Parliament - One Week Until Inauguration Day

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 005027

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR SA/FO AMBASSADOR QUINN, SA/A, S/CT
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND
CENTCOM FOR POLAD, CG CFA-A, CG CJTF-76
USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG

E.O. 12958 N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR KDEM AF
SUBJECT: AFGHAN PARLIAMENT - ONE WEEK UNTIL INAUGURATION DAY

1. (U) SUMMARY: In the final week before Afghanistan's first
Parliamentary Inauguration in 30 years, discussions among
MPs are intently focused on who will take the "plum jobs" in
the new National Assembly. Despite skepticism among some
partisan politicians in Kabul, both the Ambassador and USG
PolOffs continue to expound the policy message that the USG
is neutral in the race for Speaker and will neither support
nor block any candidate. The Embassy has been deeply
engaged in meeting with MPs of all stripes, and is
monitoring the USG-sponsored orientation training session
for MPs that began December 10. END SUMMARY.

THE GATHERING OF EGOS; THE BUZZ OVER SPEAKER
--------------------------------------------

2. (U) Political energy in Kabul is rising to frenetic
heights as newly-elected members of Afghanistan's first
Parliament in 30 years meet to discuss the future of the
Afghan National Assembly in the final week before
Inauguration Day on December 19. While many MPs are meeting
each other in Kabul for the first time, others have been
busy for weeks campaigning for the highly coveted seat of
President (Speaker) of the Wolesi Jirga (WJ, Lower House of
Parliament). At local gatherings of politicians, talk is of
little else.

3. (SBU) The WJ Speaker race at this point still appears
wide open. Among the front runners are former President
Rabbani, who may have the backing of President Karzai, and
ex-Minister of both Interior and Education, Younus Qanooni,
who lost to Karzai in last year's Presidential election.
Meanwhile, the current speculation is that Professor
Sigbatullah Mojadeddi will end up as the Speaker of the
Meshrano Jirga (MJ, Upper House of Parliament) given that
Pir Syed Gailani appears to have stood aside to allow his
son Hamid Gailani to be named to the Upper House. (NOTE:
Hamid failed in his bid to be elected to the Lower House in
Paktika Province. END NOTE.)

USG REMAINS NEUTRAL, DESPITE UNIVERSAL DISBELIEF
--------------------------------------------- ---

4. (SBU) Despite the continuing insistence of numerous MPs
that "other governments are backing their favorite Speaker
candidates, so the US should too," the Ambassador and
PolOffs continue to press the message that the US remains
neutral in the race for Speaker. Still, our insistence that
this is a matter for the 249 elected representatives of the
Afghan people is a message that no one here quite seems to
believe. Some, like Rabbani and Qanooni, have said verbally
that they understand the US policy, while others simply
refuse to accept it. In Afghanistan, conspiracy and
ulterior motives are a way of life.

POLOFFS MAKE THE ROUNDS
-----------------------

5. (U) Embassy PolOffs have met with large numbers of MPs of
all stripes in recent weeks, from former communist officials
to mujaheddin fighters to foreign-trained technocrats. Some
MPs are old friends who have been involved in Afghan
politics for years. Others are new politicians who have
only entered the political landscape since the fall of the
Taliban government in 2001. The Afghan political game,
however, remains constant, as power is bargained and
brokered over lavish meals in private homes and at small
gatherings in fancy restaurants.

6. (SBU) COMMENT: The week of orientation for MPs, which has
been well attended by over 300 MPs, including such
heavyweights as Mohaqqeq and Professor Sayyaf, is a perfect
venue for continuing discussions about how Parliament will
work and who will be Speakers. This is a game that Afghans
excel at, and the final outcome is still unknown. END
COMMENT.

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