Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS7174
2005-10-19 18:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

POSITIVE GOF REACTION TO IRAQI REFERENDUM

Tags:  PREL IZ FR UNSC 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 007174 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2015
TAGS: PREL IZ FR UNSC
SUBJECT: POSITIVE GOF REACTION TO IRAQI REFERENDUM

REF: A. STATE 190679

B. STATE 189909

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 007174

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2015
TAGS: PREL IZ FR UNSC
SUBJECT: POSITIVE GOF REACTION TO IRAQI REFERENDUM

REF: A. STATE 190679

B. STATE 189909

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: FM Douste-Blazy issued a positive public
statement October 17 welcoming the results of the October 15
Iraqi constitutional referendum. While the FM's statement
was not overly effusive, he welcomed and commended the
conditions under which the referendum took place. MFA
contacts report that the GoF views the referendum and the
last-minute compromises reached on the draft constitutional
text as positive steps which mark the broadening of the scope
of political participation long advocated by the GoF. The
MFA statement did not include a reference to the GoF-floated
idea of an international conference. An embassy translation
of the October 17 MFA communique follows in para 2. End
summary and comment,


2. (U) Begin text: The referendum organized in Iraq on
Saturday, October 15, on the draft constitution marks a
supplementary step in the political process engaged in
conforming to UNSCR 1546. I welcome the satisfactory
conditions in which the referendum took place, with the
support of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq. I
am delighted by the electoral mobilization of the great many
Iraqis who participated in this vote. The coming stages
should permit the involvement of all political forces in the
transition process and should contribute also to bringing
together all Iraqis around their new institutions in the
framework of a sovereign and united Iraq. End text.


3. (C) Responding to reftel points, MFA Iraq desk officer
David Cvach told us the GoF statement on the referendum was
intended to be positive, while stressing the importance of
the coming December 15 elections. Cvach commented that the
GoF viewed the referendum and the last-minute compromises
reached over the draft constitutional text as important and
welcome developments, which offered the potential to make the
political process in Iraq "as inclusive as possible," as the
GoF has long advocated. Cvach concurred that there was a
growing and welcome willingness among Iraqi Sunnis to advance
interests to the political process, and somewhat defensively
asserted that the GoF was not trying to be the "Sunnis'
lawyer." Instead, he reasoned, the GoF concluded that Iraqi
Sunnis still needed to be convinced that they had a stake in
participating in Iraq's political process, and December
elections would be the decisive test. Poloff responded that
the GoF should seek to advance inclusivity by encouraging to
the maximum degree Sunni participation in December elections
and offering tangible support for the electoral process.


4. (C) Comment: Despite the positive GoF response to the
referendum, the GoF remains marginalized on the ground in
Iraq. Despite repeated MFA assurances to us that he will
return to post, French Ambassador to Iraq Bajolet remains in
France after departing Baghdad over two months ago due to
security threats. Meanwhile, the ongoing domestic
investigation into the involvement of two senior French
diplomats, including the former French UN permrep, for Oil
for Food-related corruption, has put the GoF (and the MFA in
particular) on the defensive, in the wake of unusually harsh
French media coverage criticizing the MFA and GoF Iraq policy
in general. The end result is a GoF more prone to remain on
the sidelines, rather than offer new, concrete assistance to
help promote Iraq stability. End comment.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
STAPLETON