Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PESHAWAR109
2006-03-07 11:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Peshawar
Cable title:  

FRONTIER SENATE RACES

Tags:  PGOV KDEM PK 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0680
PP RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHPW #0109 0661144
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 071144Z MAR 06
FM AMCONSUL PESHAWAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6555
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0181
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1966
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 0097
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0392
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 0858
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 0088
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 0874
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0276
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 2118
C O N F I D E N T I A L PESHAWAR 000109 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/7/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PK
SUBJECT: FRONTIER SENATE RACES

REF: PESHAWAR 094

CLASSIFIED BY: Michael Spangler, Principal Officer, Amconsul
Peshawar, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



SUMMARY
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L PESHAWAR 000109

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/7/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PK
SUBJECT: FRONTIER SENATE RACES

REF: PESHAWAR 094

CLASSIFIED BY: Michael Spangler, Principal Officer, Amconsul
Peshawar, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



SUMMARY
--------------

1. (C) On March 6, President Musharraf's PML-Q party and its
junior partner -- the PPP-Sherpao (PPP-S) -- won four out of
eleven senate seats in indirect elections held in the Northwest
Frontier Province (NWFP) assembly. This was an impressive
performance since these parties commanded only a thin minority
barely sufficient to elect two senators on strict party lines.
Money reportedly played a key role, perpetuating political
corruption and widespread cynicism. The PML-Q strategy appears
to have paid off royally, boosting its national senate majority.
END SUMMARY.


2. (C) On March 6, eleven NWFP senators --6 Muttahida
Majlis-I-Amal (MMA),3 PML-Q, 1 PPP-S, and 1 Awami National
Party (ANP) -- were elected, allowing the PML-Q to gain two
seats and the PPP-S one seat in the national senate sweepstakes.
PML-Q's Salim Saifullah Khan (who sources believe will become
the next Senate Deputy Chairman, a position previously held by
current NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman),Ammar Ahmed Khan, and
Begum Fauzia Fakhruz Zaman along with the PPP-S Muhammad Gufran
were standout performers, with each of the men reportedly
bribing key assembly members heavily to cross over party lines
to vote for them. The GOP coalition knocked two MMA religious
party candidates and one PPP-P incumbent out of their seats.


3. (C) MMA and PPP-P senior party officials took a number of
steps to discourage party cross-overs, but a secret ballot vote
provided enough cover for dissident members to deny they had
violated party discipline. The purchase price of key cross-over
votes reportedly reached as high as Rs. ten million (USD $167K).



4. (C) COMMENT: In the lead-up to Senate elections, NWFP Chief
Minister Durrani criticized the PML-Q's "money" strategy,
although some of his own candidates tried to buy their seats and
his JUI-F party bloc proved more susceptible than others to
higher PML-Q prices. The local press trumpeted the view that
the elections reflected "the money factor," further entrenching
public cynicism about their elected representatives. The buying
of elections perpetuates a culture of political corruption, as
senators-elect strive to reclaim their "investments" through
improper practices. The national assembly will elect four
senators from the FATA on March 10, and most observers expect
the PML-Q to hold three of these seats. END COMMENT.

SPANGLER