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