CHRISTIAN LIST BEGINS ACTIVE CAMPAIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 004812

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2015
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM IZ
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN LIST BEGINS ACTIVE CAMPAIGN


Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B)
AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Poloffs met December 1 with Amjed
Abdulahad, a member of the Christian list, "Al-Nahrain
Watani," to discuss progress on the campaign and the
political environment in the weeks prior to the December 15
election. Abdulahad said he hopes the election will result
in an increase of the total number of Christians in the
Assembly from six to at least ten. He said that his list has
begun a multi-faceted political campaign, mainly in Ninewa
and Baghdad provinces. He downplayed candidate intimidation
as a problem, asserting that only Yonadim Kanna's list has
been targeted within the Christian political community. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) The six-party Al-Nahrain Watani list is a mix of
Assyrians and Chaldeans based primarily in Ninewa and
Baghdad, but also running in Kirkuk, Diyala, Dohuk, and Basra
provinces. A few other leading Christian politicians in Iraq
are running on separate lists, or have joined forces with
other non-Christian lists in order to increase their chances
of winning a seat in the next elections. While there are a
total of six Christians in the Transitional National
Assembly, Abdulahad said he hoped this number would increase
to at least ten in the new Council of Representatives.


3. (C) Abdulahad said Al-Nahrain Watani receives the
majority of its financial support from members based outside
of Iraq, including Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany. He said
the Christian parties in his list began to campaign actively
last week. In addition to putting up posters and
distributing pamphlets, the Christians have been publishing
special electoral newspapers, organizing town halls,
participating in press conferences, and conducting TV
interviews. Abdulahad's main complaint to poloffs was that
the Christian list is not as large as other lists and thus
needs more time to cover ground while campaigning.


4. (C) In contrast with other political leaders, Abdulahad
downplayed reports of candidate intimidation. He asserted
that Yonadim Kanna's list is the only Christian group facing
intimidation. (NOTE: Three members of Yonadim's party were
killed earlier this week in Ninewa province.) Poloffs
affirmed the U.S. commitment to the participation of all
Iraqis in the December 15 election and opposition to any
instance of intimidation. Abdulahad avoided making
speculations on why Kanna is being targeted, but instead went
out of his way to emphasize that his list does not attack
other parties as a campaign strategy.


5. (SBU) BIO NOTE: Amjed Abdulahad is a Chaldean born in the
Christian district of Ankawa in Arbil. He went to university
in Mosul and has lived most of his life in Baghdad. He said
he decided to run as a candidate in Diyala province, to
increase the percentage of votes his list receives in that
province.
KHALILZAD