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O 171404Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3934
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
UNCLAS KABUL 001210
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A,
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG
NSC FOR WOOD
OSD FOR SHIVERS
CENTCOM FOR CG CJTF-101 POLAD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV AF KDEM
SUBJECT: ELECTIONS UPDATE
1. (SBU) Although Karzai and the opposition United Front
agreed April 9 to separate presidential and parliamentary
elections, the National Assembly's lower house has yet to
pass the elections law, which would provide the necessary
legal basis for an elections calendar. The National Assembly
recesses from June 4 until July 21. We continue
to press the lower house leadership to pass the elections law
prior to its recess. The Independent Election Commission
(IEC) has begun planning for mid-August 2009
presidential elections, which would allow for a run-off, if
necessary, before winter weather. The IEC has set, rather
vaguely, summer 2010 as the window for National Assembly
and district council elections.
2. (SBU) Next to passage of the elections law, voter
registration is the most pressing elections preparation
challenge. A struggling UNDP has not yet released a donor
support request to fund registration. UNDP tells us it plans
to augment its elections support staff. The IEC hopes to
register voters in the northern half of the country from
August 1 to September 30 and, in the southern provinces, from
October 1 to November 30. The Policy
Action Group's (PAG) Security Operations Group approved this
schedule on May 3. That decision will have to be endorsed by
the president. Karzai may worry that inadequate security in
the south would deny his Pashtun base sufficient opportunity
to register.
3. (SBU) Karzai appointed May 15 five new commissioners to
the seven-person IEC board. The commissioners' mandates had
expired January 18 and their lack of legitimacy threatened to
undermine the IEC's authority. We are watching the National
Assembly to see if it will assert a right of review over
Karzai's IEC appointments, which might distract them from
elections planning and preparations.
WOOD