UNSRSG QAZI ON ELECTION PREPARATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 004983 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2015 TAGS: PGOV PNAT PTER PHUM IZ UN SUBJECT: UNSRSG QAZI ON ELECTION PREPARATIONS Classified By: Ambassador Khalilzad for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) UN Special Representative Ashraf Qazi told Ambassador Khalilzad on December 10 that he would not object if the IECI disqualified some candidates charged by the De-Ba'thification Committee, as long as there were not too many disqualifications or the disqualified candidates were not well known. Ambassador responded that no candidates should be involuntarily removed. (NOTE: The IECI is expected to allow all of the 93 candidates affected (from an original 181) to remain on the ballot (septel to follow). The 40 candidates who withdrew their names voluntarily after being charged by the De- Ba'thification Committee will remain off the ballot. END NOTE.) ¶2. (C) Qazi expects that partial results of the election may be available by December 22. However, with inevitable complaints, challenges and investigations, confirmation of the final results should not be expected before January 7 (maybe later). ¶3. (C) A national unity government is desirable even if it takes longer to form, Qazi opined, and if the Shi'a Alliance gets less than 100 seats, a unity government is possible. Ambassador cautioned that Iraq cannot wait a long time for a government to form and everyone must exert pressure to ensure that the government is seated quickly. ¶4. (C) Qazi described his recent visit to Najaf and his meeting with Grand Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Najafi. Sistani has continued to call for restraint and reconciliation despite insurgent provocations but warned that he does not know how long he can do this. He called for peaceful elections. He told Qazi that he appreciated UN support for a governorate based electoral system instead of a national system. Sistani also revealed to Qazi that he had a positive evaluation of the Cairo Conference but that he told his followers not to exercise enthusiasm so as not to overly influence the process. Sistani said that the problem in Iraq is a lack of trust and that Iraq must work on this; there can be no "taqfir" allowed. Sistani also asserted that the problem in Iraq is not occupation; it is interference -- interference from the West (Syria and Jordan, he clarified) that is facilitated by the occupation. Najafi told Qazi that the current sectarian split in Iraq is what the U.S. wanted. He also opined that more Sunnis in government would be a stabilizing influence. Najafi also endorsed a southern Iraq region. KHALILZAD