FALLUJAH CITY COUNCIL SELECTS MAYOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002463

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2025
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS PTER IZ
SUBJECT: FALLUJAH CITY COUNCIL SELECTS MAYOR

Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Henry S.
Ensher. Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY. The Fallujah City Council selected
Sheikh Dhari Abd Alhadi Yousif al-Ersan as mayor in a
June 7 session. Four candidates put their names
forward for the job (two were absent from the
meeting); Sheikh Dhari received 16 of 17 council votes
cast by secret ballot. The selection process led to
complaints (and a subsequent walk-out) of four
Fallujah residents who complained that the new mayor
should be directly elected by the people, not by its
council members. The city council also welcomed
Brigadier General Salah (Deputy Commander, Public
Order Brigade) in his new role as City Police Chief,
and noted that the weekly Ministry of Industry and
Minerals-led Monday reconstruction meetings would be
merged with the regularly scheduled city council
sessions. END SUMMARY.

--------------
MAYOR OF FALLUJAH: SHEIKH DHARI
--------------


2. (C) In a well-organized and succinct city council
session, members elected Sheikh Dhari Abd Alhadi
Yousif al-Ersan as mayor. Four candidates put their
name forward for the city's top job. The council's
Vice-Chairman, Qassem Mohammed Abdulsttar al-Jassem,
opened the meeting by speaking to the issue of
democracy as a principle of governance. He noted that
the term democracy was a Greek word, which meant that
people were responsible; "they are in charge." Iraq's
citizens had suffered greatly "under the darkness"
during the last years, but now needed to work toward
unity. They could not have separate parts of Iraq, he
declared, "we are a whole." Qassem made the following
points:

--Fallujah is part of Iraq. It cannot be divided from
the country.

--The city had suffered considerably in the past, but
there was now an opportunity for the city to take
advantage of the new situation: "we must fight
against all forms of corruption, crime and bad works."

--Fallujans needed to work toward freeing many
detainees.

--------------
CANDIDATES MAKE SPEECHES
--------------


3. (C) Qassem, in his capacity as Vice-Chairman of
the council, oversaw the mayoral election process.
The four candidates' names had been listed on a nearby
board; the two present -- Sheikh Dhari and Engineer
Farouq Abdu Mohammed -- were offered the floor. Dhari
spoke only briefly, flagging his background as Colonel
in the Iraqi Army. Dhari also stated that he came
from a main tribe in the region, the Zobai (Al-
Zawbaa).


4. (C) Farouq Abdu Mohammed, in contrast, spoke at
length. He highlighted that he had graduated from
university in Baghdad with a chemistry degree, served
as a lieutenant in the Iraqi army, and now was as a
businessman. Farouq offered a lengthy set of
additional points on his civic priorities: security
as top concern; police from the area; more jobs;
sewer, hospital and school repairs. He stressed that
Fallujah could serve as a bridge to the rest of Iraq
as a "model city."


5. (C) The other two candidates (Samir Rasheed and
Jassem Mohamed Abid Al-Subayhe) did not attend the
session; Qassem read a short biography on each. Four
residents in the audience interjected that Fallujah's
mayor should be elected by the people of the city, not
selected by the council. This would represent real
democracy. Qassem reiterated that the stated
selection process by council members would stand; the
objecting residents then quietly left the room in
protest.


6. (C) Council members, numbering 17 present, cast
secret ballots on slips of paper. Sheikh Dhari

SIPDIS
received 16 votes, Farouq Abdu Mohammed one vote. The
new mayor spoke briefly, thanking those present for
their trust in him. He said he did not want to talk a
lot about himself but looked forward to working with
the city and enjoying success in all areas.


7. (C) The mayor's position in Fallujah has been
vacant since Operation Al-Fajr (November 2004).
Filling this vacuum in city governance constitutes an
important step toward moving Fallujah into a more
sustainable self-governance and reconstruction mode.
In private conversations with PolOff, several local
residents have expressed support for Sheikh Dhari.


8. (C) Comment: The Coalition's interaction with
Sheikh Dhari has been limited. He only recently
became active in city governance issues with his
selection in April as one of the tribal
representatives on the council. His transparent
selection in an open session should help bestow
legitimacy among city residents. The new mayor has a
big job ahead of him in Fallujah's challenging
security and reconstruction environment. This effort
will require not only local support and political
swagger, but also personal stamina. Effective
interaction with the Provincial Council in Ramadi will
also be key to Sheikh Dhari's long-term success,
changing Fallujans' traditional go-it-alone mindset.


9. (U) REO HILLA, REO BASRA, REO MOSUL, and REO
KIRKUK, minimize considered.



Jeffrey