(U) KURD TOILERS PARTY SEEKS USG INTERVENTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIRKUK 000033

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

BAGHDAD FOR POL, POLMIL, IRMO/IPCC, NCT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/11/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: (U) KURD TOILERS PARTY SEEKS USG INTERVENTION

REF: A) KIRKUK 22, B) KIRKUK 7

CLASSIFIED BY: Scott Dean, Regional Coordinator (Acting),Reo
Kirkuk, Department of State .
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (SBU) INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY: On February 7, RC(A) met
with Qadr Aziz, the General Secretary of the Kurdistan Toilers
Party, a secular, left-leaning Kurdish party that participated
in the December legislative elections as a member of the Kurdish
Alliance with the dominant Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Qadr asked for the U.S. to
intervene in Kurdistan Regional Government to combat growing
corruption, which he claimed many Kurds blamed on the U.S., and
help smaller parties play their rightful role. END INTRODUCTION
AND SUMMARY.


(SBU) U.S. SHOULD INTERVENE
--------------


2. (SBU) On democratization and corruption, Qadr said:

-- Corruption is spreading throughout the government of
Kurdistan. Many Kurds blame the Americans for this because they
see that U.S. support for the KDP and PUK does not seem to be
conditioned on the parties' reducing corruption.

-- Many Kurds are worried that the U.S. will not push for
democratic reform in Kurdistan. Many note with concern that the
U.S. is involving itself in the creation of the government in
Baghdad but not of the unified Kurdistan Regional Government
(KRG). The U.S. is thus at fault when we see 30-year sentences
in Kurdistan [for criticizing the government](reftels).

-- U.S. involvement in the KRG would be beneficial and would
help smaller parties and NGO's play their rightful role. The
U.S. should push for a more powerful role for the Kurdistan
National Assembly, freedom of speech and "real democracy" in
Kurdistan.

-- Despite Kurdistan's progress since 1991 (and 2003),the
ruling parties have not won the people's support because of
their corruption.


(SBU) UNIFICATION DEAL MAY BE OFF IF TALABANI NOT PRESIDENT
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) On unification of the two Kurdistan regional
governments, Qadr said:

-- Unification is a positive step but the people are not very
excited about it because they are cynical about the ruling
parties' intentions.

-- Unification was necessary in part because Baghdad would only
fund one regional Kurdish government, not two. Unification
would be easy if the KDP and PUK were not so political and
distrustful of each other.

-- However, the current division of top jobs between KDP and PUK
leaders in the unified government is predicated on Talabani's
remaining president of Iraq. If that does not happen, then the
unification deal could be in jeopardy.

-- The Toilers Party, the Assyrian Democratic Movement, the
Kurdistan Communist Party, the Kurdistan Socialist Party and the
Kurdistan Islamic Group met recently to discuss their role in
the unified KRG. "We do not want to be in government only as
window dressing to 'prove' that the new KRG is democratic."
Before, the Toilers Party held the ministries of Culture and
Transport. Now they are only offering us "Ministers of the
Region" (i.e., Ministers without Portfolio).


(U) COMMENT
--------------


4. (C) Qadr, as is typical of leaders of small parties that
feel disadvantaged in the struggle for power here, is trying to
draw the U.S. in to help solve their problems. His claim that
many Kurds blame us for Kurdistan's extensive corruption should
be seen in that light, i.e., "you must help clean up the KRG
before your reputation suffers greater damage." Despite his
self interest in American involvement, we have heard other Kurds
do blame the omnipotent Americans for not having democratized
the KRG by now.

DEAN