Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BAGHDAD1395
2006-04-28 13:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

CABINET FORMATION UPDATE

Tags:  PGOV PNAT IZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8145
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHGB #1395/01 1181307
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 281307Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4152
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 001395 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT IZ
SUBJECT: CABINET FORMATION UPDATE

REF: BAGHDAD 1383

Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford,
for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 001395

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT IZ
SUBJECT: CABINET FORMATION UPDATE

REF: BAGHDAD 1383

Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford,
for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (C) Summary. Cabinet discussions between the
Shia Coalition and the Kurds are well underway (See
reftel). Internal Iraqiyya meetings have yet to
produce results, as members await Ayad Allawi's
decision whether or not Iraqiyya will participate.
Iraqiyya may opt to go into opposition unless the
other blocs guarantee Allawi as head of the National
Policy Committee (NPC) with executive power and to
make Mehdi Hafedh Deputy Prime Minister or Minister
of Finance. Tawafuq has met with the Shia Coalition
once but still has issues with Iraqiyya over the
Sunni Arab-designated deputy PM position. At week's
close we see the key political blocs, including
Allawi's heretofore muddled Iraqiyya bloc, moving
more seriously into negotiations over the cabinet
slots. We are seeing more names being proposed,
although still no clear front runners for key
ministries like Interior, Defense, Oil, Finance and
Foreign Affairs. We can expect some tussles over
ministries and then more skirmishes over the names.
Notably some blocs - like the Kurds and the Allawi
bloc - are having to huddle internally to reconfirm
their positions. Septel reports Kurdish viewpoints
in greater detail. End Summary.

--------------
Kurds Think UIC is greedy
--------------


2. (C) Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) member Fawzi
Hariri told PolOffs on April 26 that the "greedy"
Shia Coalition presented an ambitious ministerial
grocery list, demanding 20 ministries including
three sovereign ones. Kurdish leaders expect to
travel north April 28 to discuss KRG power-sharing
and return to Baghdad on May 2 to resume ministerial
negotiations.

-------------- --------------
Shia Coalition Reactions
-------------- --------------


3. (C) Deputy CoR Speaker and Shia Independent
Khalid al-Attiyah told PolCouns April 27 that some
political parties (specifically mentioning the
Kurdish alliance) seek a greater share of cabinet
posts than their share of seats in the parliament.
He said they want ministries distributed like the
government leadership positions (one-third each for

the Shia, Sunni Arabs, and Kurds). He added that
the Sunni Arab is closer to the Shia Coalition
position in accepting that ministries need to be
distributed by election results. Attiyah doubted
that the negotiations would finish by mid-May but he
was certain a national unity government ultimately
would be created. He agreed that all ministries
need capable and competent ministers selected for
the skill, not their party loyalty. He readily
conceded PolCouns' point that the Oil Ministry had
suffered too much corruption and had to have a
thorough sweep.


4. (C) Sadrist CoR member Nasar Zghair Darbi al-
Ruba'i told PolFSN on April 26 that the Shia
Coalition 7-man negotiation team is not a fixed one.
For the Sadrists, both Salam al-Maliki and Baha
Hussein al-Araji have represented the Sadrists at
the internal Shia Coalition meetings to vet
candidate names. Al-Ruba'i reiterated that the
Sadrists expect to get six service ministries. He
added that the Sadrists do not want any strategic
ministries because that would require direct contact
with the U.S. Al-Araji told PolOff in an April 27
phone conversation that the Sadrists want to control
the Ministries of Health, Transportation, and
Agriculture.


5. (C) Badr Organization member Sheikh Dhiya al-Din
al-Fayyad told PolFSN in an April 27 phone
conversation that the distribution of ministries
will be largely up to new Prime Minister Nuri Kamel
al-Maliki, but the Sunni Arabs have asked the Shia
Islamist Coalition to help them get control of the
MFA. The Kurds, according to al-Fayyad, might get
the MOD in exchange. He said the Shia Coalition is
trying to convince the Fadhila Party to let Hussein

BAGHDAD 00001395 002 OF 003


Shahristani be the Minister of Oil. Al-Fayyad
stated the Shia have few redlines, but Tawaffuq
spokesperson Dhafur al-Ani would be unacceptable in
any position in the next Iraqi government.

--------------
Iraqiyya: Moving towards Joining On
--------------


6. (C) In an April 27 morning telephone call with
PolFSN, Iraqiyya party member Hussein al-Sha'lan
said that Iraqiyya's three-man negotiating team
consists of Judge Wa'el Abdul Latif, Hussain al-
Sha'lan and Mohammed Allawi. Even though Iraqiyya
has decided on the team, al-Sha'lan added, they have
yet to decide whether or not to participate.


7. (C) By midday April 27 senior Iraqiyya List
member Safia Suhail, in an agitated state, described
Iraqiyya's April 26 protracted meeting with its 25
elected members as contentious, leaving everyone in
a "confused state." She added that Mehdi Hafedh is
pushing Allawi to withdraw unless the other blocs
guarantee Allawi as Head of the National Policy
Committee (NPC) with executive power and Hafedh
Deputy Prime Minister of the financial/economic
ministries. She asked if executive power for the NPC
could be agreed upon behind "closed doors with both
the UK and US present." PolOff reminded Suhail that
Parliament would require passing a constitutional
amendment for the NPC to have executive powers. She
feared that Hafedh's personal agenda would have
Allawi running away to London by the end of the
week. She confirmed that she and Hamid Moussa sent
Iraqiyya's ministerial negotiating team to find out
what the other blocs want. She could not confirm if
Iraqiyya plans to meet again on this matter.


8. (C/REL UK) Late April 27, senior Iraqiyya List
member Mehdi al-Hafedh contradicted Suhail and said
it was likely Iraqiyya and Allawi would, in fact,
participate in the government. Hafedh claimed that
Allawi wants to be Secretary General of the NPC,
provided the committee could be "rectified" (a) to
reduce the number of members from 19 to 7 or 9 and
(b) to require, if there is voting, that decisions
be binding on the members, or that decisions be
taken by consensus. (Comment: Any changes at this
point are unlikely, but it is helpful that Allawi is
leaning towards participation. We will encourage
Iraqiyya not to make these changes a prerequisite to
their participation in the government. End Comment)


9. (C/REL UK) In addition to SG of the NPC, Hafedh
confirmed that Iraqiyya seeks a Deputy Prime
Minister position and one of the sovereign
ministries -- likely Interior or Finance. Hafedh, a
candidate for Finance Minister if Iraqiyya gets that
position, said this would "assure" Iraqiyya's
participation in the government.


10. (C/REL UK) Hafedh said that the decision-making
body within Iraqiyya is Allawi, Adnan Pachachi and
himself, and that they will meet April 28 at 5:00
p.m. with the Dialogue Front group (Salah Mutlak's
party) to discuss putting together a larger block
that would attract as many as 40 total members.
(Comment: This would include Allawi's 25
parliamentary seats, Mutlak's eleven and four other
parliamentarians. It would have no bearing on
government formation talks but have parliamentary
implications down the road. End Comment)

--------------
Sunni Arab Divisions
--------------


11. (C) Tawafuq ministerial negotiating committee
member Ali Baban told PolFSN on April 27 that he and
Rafi al-Isawi met with the Shia Coalition and
received its ministerial wish list. Baban stated
that Tawafuq seeks at least two of three sovereign
ministries: Defense, Finance and Foreign Affairs.
He added that Tawafuq is still at odds with Allawi
who wants the Sunni-designated Deputy Premiership
for Iraqiyya.
Baban added that Tawafuq leaders are not discussing
particular names for the ministerial positions.
Instead, they are discussing the process by which
each party will nominate individuals, and there are
"technical differences" between Tawaffuq and the UIC

BAGHDAD 00001395 003 OF 003


over this process.


12. (C) Baban claimed that Tawafuq has no strong
objection to the Kurds retaining the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. In contrast, National Dialogue's
Saleh Mutlak told PolOff April 27 that he thought
Tawafuq was still lobbying for Mutlak to be Foreign
Minister.


13. (C) Mutlak told PolOff that he favored current
Deputy Interior Minister General Abd al-Khedre Madhi
Al-Tahir to take current MoI Bayan Jabr's place.
For Minister of Defense, Mutlak said he wanted
former Iraqi Army General Hamad Obaid, who left the
IA in late 1991 but has since remained in Iraq.


KHALILZAD