ALLAWI CHIEF OF STAFF: WE UNITE WITH SUNNI BLOCS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 005134

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/27/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: ALLAWI CHIEF OF STAFF: WE UNITE WITH SUNNI BLOCS
AND NO BOYCOTT


Classified By: Classified By: Political Counselor for reasons
1.4(b) and (d)



1. (C) Ibrahim al-Janabi, Chief of Staff to Dr. Ayad
Allawi, told Poloff and PolFSN December 27 that the
National Iraqi List and the main Sunni Arab blocs
(Tawwafuq, National Dialogue, and Reconciliation and
Liberation) had signed an agreement December 25 in
Amman to establish a common front; the agreement will
be announced December 28. He added that the agreement
also makes Ayad Allawi the front's spokesman and
responsible for negotiations with other parties. He
said they have not discussed specifics (e.g.,
government positions, possible constitutional
amendments),but they would like a balanced Council of
Representatives and a National Unity Government.
According to al-Janabi, they will not boycott the
Council of Representatives (COR),and will work to
establish a front in the COR and outside the COR for
"voices that were lost in the election."


2. (C) Al-Janabi said the National Iraqi List has not
had any conversations regarding government formation
with the Shia or Kurdish Alliances, except for a brief
phone call from Hadi al-Amri, head of the Badr
Organization, shortly after the elections asking for
support of transparency in the IECI results
announcements.


3. (C) Al-Janabi said they still want the
international community to find out what happened
during the pre-election and election period. PolOff
stressed the importance of using the established
mechanisms to submit and resolve their complaints and
not using demonstrations to solve technical election
issues. Al-Janabi agreed with the assessment that
demonstrations could lead to counter-demonstrations
and increase the potential for violence.


4. (C) Comment. While the MARAM group still lives and
has expanded to 45 entities, the talk has now turned
from confrontation and boycott of the COR to political
compromise and embracing the concept of a unity
government. Al-Janabi mentioned an idea attributed to
President Talabani of treating the main political
entities as equals in the political negotiations and
government formation/ministry distribution, regardless
of their success at the ballot box. NOTE: Al-Janabi
did not say whether the National Iraqi List would be
one of these entities, or whether these would be
limited in practice to the Shia Alliance, the Sunni
Arab bloc, and the Kurdish Alliance.
KHALILZAD