SULAYMANIYAH GOVERNOR AND KURDISTAN TOILERS PARTY RESPOND TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KIRKUK 000116

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - ADDED (SBU) PARA MARKINGS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS



BAGHDAD FOR ECON, POL, NCT, IRMO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KCOR ENRG IZ
SUBJECT: SULAYMANIYAH GOVERNOR AND KURDISTAN TOILERS PARTY RESPOND TO
GOVT FORMATION

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1. (SBU) Summary: In separate meetings on May 24, Sulaymaniyah
Governor Dana and leaders of the Kurdistan Toiler's Party (KTP)
shared with IPAO their reactions to the formation of the newly
formed governments in Erbil and Baghdad. Sulaymaniyah Governor
Dana said it would be difficult for Prime Minister Maliki to
separate himself from his Shia Arab nationalism despite his best
intentions. Dana remained skeptical of the national and regional
governments' ability to work together successfully on KRG
issues, but viewed a unified KRG as a step forward. The
Kurdistan Toiler's Party also welcomed the formations, though
chastised the U.S. for not broadening support to opposition
parties, fighting corruption, and ensuring freedom of the press.
End Summary.


Governor: Unified KRG Should Clarify Provincial Role
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2. (SBU) Sulaymaniyah Governor Dana said he hoped the unified
KRG would bring clarity to the role of the provincial
government, particularly in regards to the budget. He described
a catch-22 where if he communicated directly with either Baghdad
or the KRG he lost assistance from the other party.


3. (SBU) Dana reiterated a request for the U.S. to establish a
PRT in the province to facilitate communication with provincial
officials and provide technical advisors for social, economic
and political development. Dana was frustrated by what he
perceived as a decreased interaction with the U.S. at a time
when more was needed.
Maliki - A Good Friend, But an Arab Nonetheless
-------------- ---


4. (SBU) Dana said he had become friends with Iraqi Prime Minister
Nuri al-Maliki during his eight years working in Syria. He
believed Maliki would do a good job; however, his actions would
be heavily influenced by his identity as an Arab Shia.


5. (SBU) Ethnicity-based nationalism, he said, was a major problem
in Iraq. He cited recent contracts signed by the Ministry of
Oil in Baghdad for refineries in the Kurdistan Region and said
he lacked confidence they would materialize. He summed up
Baghdad's attitude towards development projects in the KRG as
"If it takes one day to do it, they will spend eight months."

Kurdistan Toiler's Party - Formation a Step Forward
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6. (SBU) General Secretary for the Kurdistan Toiler's Party
(KTP) Qadir Aziz said he was optimistic about the formation of
the national government and felt federalism was the best option
at this stage for Iraq. He said the Iraqi constitution
enshrined federalism and set the Kurds on the path towards
self-determination. Aziz noted that Montenegro's recent vote to
separate from Serbia was a harbinger for the Kurdistan Region.


7. (SBU) Aziz said that the formation of both the KRG and the
Iraqi national governments were positive steps because Iraq
faces a number of security and economic problems that had been
on hold until the government was resolved. He said it was a
turning point and hoped the national government would stick to
the program outlined by Maliki and abide by the constitution.
However he added that the Kurds still did not trust the Iraqi
government and did not expect problems like terrorism or the
conflict between the Sunni and Shia to be resolved easily.


8. (SBU) Aziz said the Iraqi constitution needed to be amended to
ensured total rights to the Kurds in traditionally sensitive
areas such as Article 58 and the development of natural
resources in the Kurdistan Region. He hoped Kurdish leaders in
Baghdad could solidify the position of the Kurds to create a
stronger front against those in Baghdad who chose not to
recognize parts of the constitution that benefited the KRG.

KTP Response to KRG Formation
--------------


9. (SBU) Aziz said that the KRG unification was a great step
towards strengthening their political position in Iraq. He said
it was very important for the Kurds to have a unified voice and
KDP and PUK infighting only weakened the KRG.


10. (SBU) Aziz said the U.S. was losing credibility in the region
because of favoritism towards the PUK and KDP, and a perceived
tolerance of corruption and the government abuse of press
freedoms. He said there were many democratic and liberal forces
in Iraq, however, they lacked U.S. support and were finding it

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difficult to survive.

Ask for U.S. Help on Corruption, Freedom of Press
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11. (SBU) Aziz asked for U.S. pressure on the KRG to provide
budget transparency, political freedom for opposition parties
and freedom of the press; and to create an Integrity Committee
to fight corruption in government. He offered to work with the
U.S. to sponsor an anti-corruption conference in the KRG.


12. (SBU) PARTY BIO: KTP was established in 1985 as an
opposition party to the Ba'athist Regime. In the 2005 elections,
they won one seat in the Kurdistan National Assembly and one in
the Iraqi National Assembly.

Comment:
--------------


13. (SBU) Governor Dana's frustration with regional politics and a
lack of U.S. presence in Sulaymaniyah stems from the ongoing
competition between the regional capitals. In fact, Sulaymaniyah
is an excellent starting point for encouraging U.S. private
investment in Iraq and would benefit from pressure to develop
the banking and investment laws. The KTP's assessment of the
KRG's 'real politik' appears accurate and reflects a growing
frustration with PUK/KDP abuse of power, particularly pertaining
to freedom of the press. An anti-corruption conference or
round-table is a great idea for the region and deserves
consideration. End Comment.
BIGUS