PRT BAGHDAD: COMMENTS BY BAGHDAD PROVINCIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001388 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA-I/POL E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2026 TAGS: PGOV PINR PNAT IZ SUBJECT: PRT BAGHDAD: COMMENTS BY BAGHDAD PROVINCIAL COUNCIL DEPUTY CHAIRMAN MOHAN AL-SAIDI ON POTENTIAL PROVINCIAL AND DISTRICT ELECTIONS Classified By: Classified by Baghdad PRT leader Joe Gregoire for reason s 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) Baghdad Provincial Council(PC) Deputy Chairman Mohan Al-Saidi recently told PRT member that the PC will not begin preparations for provincial and district elections until well after the formation of the Iraqi National Government. Mohan added that the PC does not have an election timeline. ¶2. (C) The PC envisions conducting district and qada council elections at the same time as the provincial elections. Mohan believes the PC will plan and execute the provincial and local elections. According to Mohan, the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq ) Baghdad (IECI-B) has not expressed an interest in the elections. ¶3. (C) Mohan does not know whether a new electoral law will be in place when the provincial and district elections are held. However, he does not appear to be worried about the prospect of having to rely on the electoral system the PC used during the January 2005 national/provincial elections. ¶4. (C) According to Mohan, the future provincial and district elections will be contested by a number of parties and blocs that did not participate at the provincial level in January ¶2005. Mohan believes the Iraqi Islamic Party, the Iraqi National Congress, and the National Iraqi List will field candidates for the provincial and district elections. ¶5. (C) Comment. Past conversations with Mohan indicate that he favors increased participation by political parties that did not participate in the previous round of provincial elections. Mohan wants the power and influence of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) on the PC reduced. Mohan was elected to the PC as a member of the National Cadre of Independents and Elites. He is a Sadrist and a member of the Sadr Bureau. ¶6. (C) Comment continued. The participation in the next round of provincial and local elections of parties not currently represented in provincial and local politics may lead to more representative local government. At the same time, gains by parties not currently represented could lead to political gridlock and polarization within Baghdad. However, given the governance deficit that now characterizes the province's political landscape, the PRT is hopeful that the first of the two scenarios mentioned above will dominate. End comment. KHALILZAD