KARZAI'S MESHRANO JIRGA APPOINTMENTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 005010 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR SA/FO AMBASSADOR QUINN, S/CT, SA/A NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND CENTCOM FOR POLAD, CG CFA-A, CG CJTF-76 USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM AF SUBJECT: KARZAI'S MESHRANO JIRGA APPOINTMENTS REF: KABUL 4893 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: President Karzai released his official list of 34 appointments to the Meshrano Jirga (MJ, Upper House of Parliament) on December 10. The list fulfills Afghan Electoral Law requirements that he include 17 women, two Kuchi representatives, and two representatives of the martyrs and disabled. Notable among his appointees are former mujahadeen President Mojadiddi, former Minister of Defense Marshal Fahim, current Minister of Martyrs and Disabled Seddiqa Balkhi, and the current Governors from Helmand and Takhar, who will have to resign their positions before accepts seats in Kabul. USG-sponsored training sessions began on December 10, and discussions continue among MP's about the identity of the future Speaker. END SUMMARY. WHO'S ON THE LIST -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Per Afghan Electoral Law, President Karzai announced the names of thirty-four people, already cleared by the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB),to the MJ on December 10. Notable among the names are former President of the mujahadeen government and Speaker of the Constitutional Loya Jirga Sibghatullah Mujaddidi, former Defense Minister Mohammad Qasim (Marshal) Fahim, current Minister of Martyrs and Disabled Siddiqa Balkhi, and two sitting Governors, Sher Mohammad Akhunzada from Helmand and Abdul Kabir Marzban from Takhar. Former Hekmatyar loyalist Ustad Abdul Saboor Farid and Taliban Deputy Minister Arsalan Rahmani are also among the appointees, as is Syed Hamid Gailani of the well-known Gailani family, who lost his campaign in the Wolesi Jirga (WJ, Lower House of Parliament) election on September 18. In a nod to slain WJ candidate Ashraf Ramazan from Mazar-i-Sharif, Ramazan's brother, Ahmad Shah Ramazan, was also named as a MJ representative. ¶3. (U) Karzai's appointments fulfill the Electoral Law requirement for seventeen women, two Kuchis (nomads, represented by Haji Nazar Mohammad and Belqis Kochi),and two representatives for the martyrs and disabled (Abdul Baqi Baryal and Haji Nafisa). The complete list of names is as follows: - Sibghatullah Mujaddidi - Mohammad Qasim Fahim - Siddiqa Balkhi - Sher Mohammad Akhunzada - Abdul Kabir Marzban ;- Abdul Saboor Farid - Arsalan Rahmani - Syed Hamid Gailani - Ahmad Ramazan - Haji Nazar Mohammad - Belqis Kochi - Abdul Baqi Baryal - Haji Nafisa - Ganga Ram - Mahbooba Haquqmal - Qamar Khosti - Rawshan Ara Alokozai - Musalima Husseini - Tayyeba Zahidi - Humaira Naimati - Reda Azimi - Najiba Husseini - Sara Surkhabi - Alia Qarizada - Khadija Husseini - Kubra Aman - Sohaila Sharifi - Najiba Rokshani Zarahorzahee - Haji Mohammad Esa Khan Shinwari - Al-haj Suleman Yari - Mohammad Hasan Hotak - Professor Abdul Baqi - Qurban Ali Irfani - Haji Tordia Khan WHAT NOW? -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Minister Balkhi and the two Governors will have to quit their current positions before being added to the final list of 102 members of the legislative body, which included the 68 provincially-elected representatives announced on December 4 (reftel). These appointments likely smoothed the way for otherwise difficult personnel transfers. Both jirgas are scheduled to assemble in full on December 19 for the official inauguration of Parliament, and to hold internal elections for President (Speaker) of each house shortly thereafter. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: More than three hundred representatives from both jirgas met on December 10 for the first session of a week-long, USG-sponsored orientation and training program in Kabul. The large attendance at the orientation, which included such notables as Sayyaf and Mohaqqeq, is gratifying. Reports were mixed, however, regarding the success of the first session, which was dominated by a lengthy autobiographical speech by Secretariat General Dr. Aziz Lodin. While a consistent theme from many MP's has been, "it's time to forget the past and our differences in order to move forward," Dr. Lodin's opening speech was a 20-minute peroration on his own mujahed background and a few MP's commented that it struck the wrong note, emphasizing differences among the many political groups represented in the new Parliament. That said, there was considerable anticipation about the content of the training program, and reports indicate that the second session on December 11 went very well. ¶6. (SBU) MP's are using the final days before the inauguration to meet privately and discuss the race for Speaker of the WJ. MP cell phones ring incessantly as they go from social events to group meetings to tete-a-tetes with other MP's and political players. The underlying theme for much of this activity is a simple one: selection of Speakers for the new Parliament. Rumors of bribery and exertion of influence are rife, and pre-selection activity for the Speaker posts will intensify during the coming week. NEUMANN