PARLIAMENTARY ATMOSPHERICS AS NEW SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001982 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ SUBJECT: PARLIAMENTARY ATMOSPHERICS AS NEW SECURITY MINISTERS CONFIRMED REF: BAGHDAD 1940 Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Just before his June 8 nomination as Interior Minister, Jawad al-Bolani met with the Ambassador and reconfirmed his loyalty to the government and his independence from any pressures, parties, or party leaders. Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was scrambling to determine how it should vote during the day's Council of Representatives (CoR) session. A flustered Kurdistan Alliance appeared to allow the vote on Sherwan al-Wai'li as Minister of State for National Security Affairs to pass more through disorganization than design. The Sunni Tawafuq, also taken by surprise by al-Wai'li's nomination, initially attempted to delay the vote but decided to support the Prime Minister and allow the vote to occur. END SUMMARY. -------------- Bolani Reaffirms His Loyalty to the PM -------------- ¶2. (C) The Ambassador met with Minister of Interior candidate Jawad al-Bolani prior to his June 8 introduction by the Prime Minister to the CoR. Ambassador congratulated Bolani on his imminent nomination and offered U.S. assistance to make the MOI more effective. Bolani acknowledged that he will come under pressure and requests from other groups, but he said he will not allow himself to be influenced. He declared that he is the Minister of Interior of the government and not a hireling of any party or party leader. Bolani reaffirmed his loyalty to the PM and to the government, adding that he considers the position to be a national duty and a position of trust for all Iraqis. He concluded by saying that he will urge all people to lay down their arms and obey the rule of law. -------------- Kurds Disorganized, Upset -------------- ¶3. (C) Before the session, senior KDP leaders Rowsch Shaways and Saadi Barzinji assured PolOff that the Kurds could not vote for Bolani, whom none of them knew, as Interior Minister. They both insisted on either Muwafuq al-Rubaie or Tawfiq al-Yasiri for Interior. A few minutes into the session, however, Shaways emerged and urgently asked PolOff for the Embassy's position on Bolani; PolOff responded that the Ambassador was prepared to accept whomever the Prime Minister supports. After getting confirmation by phone from KDP leader Masud Barzani, Shaways went in to lead the Kurdish vote for Bolani. ¶4. (C) When Sherwan al-Wa'ili was brought forward as Minister of State for National Security Affairs (MNSA, a position formerly held by fellow Dawa-Tanzim member Abd al-Karim al-Anzi),Shaways again emerged from the session to seek guidance from Barzani. As Barzani told Shaways to request a delay of vote on the MSNSA position, the CoR proceeded with the vote and approved al-Wa'ili. An angry group of Kurdish CoR members complained loudly to PolOff afterward that their leadership had not given them enough guidance on how to vote. According to Shaways and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) member Tania Gilly, PUK leader Jalal Talabani and Barzani had sent conflicting signals. Talabani had phoned the PUK members shortly before the session and instructed them to vote for all of PM Maliki's candidates, including al-Wa'ili. Barzani, on the other hand, had instructed Shaways to block al-Wa'ili. In a further breakdown of communications within the Kurdistan Alliance, fellow KDP member Barzinji was instructing the others to vote for al-Wa'ili just as Shaways was running back into the room to stop the vote. ¶5. (C) After the session recessed for a short break before reconvening to vote on CoR bylaws, Shaways and Kurdish Deputy Speaker Arif Taifour informed PolOff that Barzani was very upset with the results. According to Shaways, Barzani insisted that Maliki call Barzani to explain why the Kurdish letter requesting the MSNSA for the Kurdistan Alliance had been ignored. (NOTE: The Kurds recently had sent a letter to Maliki stating that, as the Shia Coalition has the Ministry of Interior and the Sunni Arabs the Ministry of Defense, the Kurds needed a security ministry as well. END NOTE.) In addition, Barzani reportedly demanded that the three new security ministers fly up to Kurdistan to meet with Barzani and their Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) counterparts. Shaways added that he would be flying up to Erbil immediately to meet with Barzani. Gilly later told PolOff that the Kurdish members planned to protest to their leadership about the lack of communication. BAGHDAD 00001982 002 OF 002 -------------- Tawafuq Decides Quickly to Support Maliki -------------- ¶6. (C) Tawafuq parliamentarian Ala'a Makky told PolOff later on June 8 that Sunni leaders are happy that the government is complete and that the important work of improving security can begin. Tawafuq was surprised by the al-Wai'li nomination and sought to delay the vote (reftel). However, Tawafuq leaders quickly concluded that they must support the Maliki government and allow the vote to take place. "This was not a vote for al-Wai'li," said Makky, "it was a vote for Maliki." Makky stated that, with the government complete, Tawafuq expects a new era of improved security and will insist that the Chairman of the Security Committee in the CoR be a Sunni Arab. KHALILZAD