IECI COMMISIONER DEFENDS IRAQI ELECTION IN CAIRO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000953

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT KDEM IZ EG
SUBJECT: IECI COMMISIONER DEFENDS IRAQI ELECTION IN CAIRO


Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford for
reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Independent Electoral Commission (IECI)
Chief Electoral Officer Adil Mohammed Alwan Al-Lami
described to PolOff on March 19 his defense of the Iraqi
elections as valid, fair and representative at a regional
election workshop in Cairo on March 12-13. Speaking to
skeptical workshop attendees, and in a live interview with
Nile Television, Al-Lami claimed success in defending the
election process. The election commission, a temporary
body for the transition period, is winding down its
activities even as its staff hopes to have a law establish
a permanent election commission in May. END SUMMARY.

DEFENDING THE IRAQI OUTCOME AT THE CAIRO CONFERENCE
-------------- --------------


2. (C) On 19 March, PolOff met with the IECI Chief
Electoral Officer Adil Mohammed Alwan Al-Lami to discuss
his recent trip to Cairo. Al-Lami traveled to Egypt at the
invitation of the Egyptian National Council of Human Rights
(NCHR) to attend a joint NCHR and United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) sponsored conference that
reviewed recent elections in Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and
Palestine. According to Al-Lami, over 100 individuals
participated in the conference and workshops, with
delegations from Algeria, Yemen, Sudan, Lebanon, Palestine,
and a large number of Egyptian officials. In addition to
Al-Lami, the Iraqi delegation consisted of IECI
Commissioners and Mustafa Safwat.


3. (C) Al-Lami said that the Egyptian delegates at the
conference were initially skeptical that the Iraqi
elections were fair. Conference attendees were more
concerned about Shia dominance within the IECI than about
U.S. control of Iraq; they questioned the neutrality of the
IECI. Al-Lami said that this generated significant
discussion and gave him a chance to vigorously defend the
election process and explain how the IECI functioned. Al-
Lami told PolOff that he provided the conference attendees
with details on how the Commission worked and the processes
and procedures in place to ensure fairness and independence
were maintained. The Egyptian delegation, Al-Lami said, was
particularly concerned about how IECI Commissioners
resisted political pressure. In the end, Al-Lami claimed,
his arguments and explanations were accepted. The
delegates were generally convinced of the IECI's
effectiveness and agreed to recommend the establishment of
an Arab election monitoring commission in the after action
conference report.

AND ON NILE TELEVISION
--------------


4. (C) During a break in the conference Al-Lami said he was
approached by a talk show host from Nile Television and
agreed to participate in a live interview on the Iraqi
elections which aired on March 16. During the hour-long
interview, Al-Lami said he was challenged on a number of
issues concerning the Iraqi elections. Questions he was
asked included "how could truly independent elections be
held in an occupied country?", "How could the IECI be
independent when it was established by the U.S.?" and
questions about the legitimacy of the insurgency.


5. (C) Al-Lami told the TV audience that Iraq was not an
occupied country, but rather that the U.S. and MNF-I were
there under the authority of a U.N. Security Council
resolution. He said the election law was established
legally and the elections were held fairly. On the issue
of the insurgency Al-Lami said that he stated that
terrorists in Iraq were wrong and the resistance was not
justified because there were other ways, such as voting, to
change the system. Al-Lami concluded his interview by
saying that the U.S. will leave when democracy is
established and said he felt his remarks were well received
by the studio audience, who applauded at the end of the
interview.

AND TO THE MAN ON THE STREET
--------------


6. (C) Al-Lami also told PolOff that he made a point of
asking ordinary Egyptians what they thought about the Iraqi
elections and the seating of the Council of Representative
(CoR). (Comment: Al-Lami was still in Egypt during the
seating of the Council of Representative.) Al-Lami reported
that his impression was that the average Egyptian viewed
the seating of the Iraqi CoR and election in general with

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suspicion. Based on his interactions on the street, Al-
Lami said that most Egyptians supported Saddam. They saw
him as a strong leader and hero. This image was reinforced
by the Saddam trial, which was being covered at the same
time. Al-Lami claimed that he actively engaged those he
talked with trying to change their impression and minds
about the election and democracy in the Middle East.
(Comment: we defer to Embassy Cairo about what Egyptians
think about Iraq. Certainly, our Iraqi contacts in the
government largely think Arab publics do not understand the
changes the Iraqis think are positive underway here. End
Comment.)

THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE IECI
--------------


7. (C) The next major event for the IECI Commissioners is
the final after-action conference, set for May 1-4. The
Commission is to be disbanded on 10 May, 90 days after the
certification of elections. Al-Lami told PolOff that the
Commissioners are now working on a new draft law to submit
to the CoR which will re-establish the IECI on a permanent
basis and hope to have it approved before May 10.

COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) Al-Lami, a Shia, is an attorney by training and
former President of the Human Rights Association, a
Baghdad-based Human rights group. PolOffs have found him
to be an articulate and dynamic individual. The IECI was
criticized by a number of political groups and the final
report of the International Mission for Iraqi elections
noted various shortcomings in the work of the IECI in the
December 15, 2005 elections. Whether Al-Lami will be re-
appointed to the new IECE, which we expect will be approved
to manage the planned 2006 provincial and municipal
elections, remains to be seen in the charged political
climate of Iraq. Interesting, Al-Lami also stated that the
workshop he attended will call for the establishment of an
Independent Arab Election Monitoring Commission.
KHALILZAD