Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PESHAWAR94
2006-02-23 12:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Peshawar
Cable title:  

OPPOSITION LEADER ON DEMOCRACY

Tags:  PGOV KDEM PK 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6453
PP RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHPW #0094/01 0541240
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 231240Z FEB 06
FM AMCONSUL PESHAWAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6541
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0174
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1949
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH PRIORITY 0090
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0385
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 0846
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 0081
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 0862
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0269
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 2100
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PESHAWAR 000094 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/23/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PK
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION LEADER ON DEMOCRACY

REF: PESHAWAR 079

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



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 SECTION 01 OF 02 PESHAWAR 000094

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/23/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PK
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION LEADER ON DEMOCRACY

REF: PESHAWAR 079

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



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



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

1. (C) National Assembly Opposition Leader Maulana Fazlur
Rahman recently told us he supports giving the GOP a list of
names for the permanent head of the Federal Election Commission
(FEC) -- but only if (1) the GOP publicly solicits nominations
from all political parties and (2) the GOP including the
Pakistan Army publicly agrees to respect the FEC's independence.


2. (C) Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) Chief Minister Akram
Durrani also warned time is running out for the institution of
transparent, election procedures before national and provincial
assembly races in 2007. The GOP could demonstrate its
commitment to genuine reform by issuing a federal ordinance
calling for a show of hands for upcoming senate elections on
March 6. The existing secret ballot system is setting up
egregious PML-Q vote-buying schemes similar to those used in
local nazim (mayor) races. END SUMMARY.

SURPRISE APPEARANCE
--------------

3. (C) At a scheduled meeting with NWFP Chief Minister Durrani
on Peshawar's recent unrest (REFTEL),Opposition Leader and
JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman made a surprise appearance to
expound on democratic reform. He noted he is strongly
supportive of greater progress towards democracy, in particular,
the GOP's appointment of a permanent head of the FEC whose
impartiality is respected by all political parties. However,
Rahman said he cannot comply with the GOP's request for JUI-F
nominations until all political parties are publicly invited to
do so, preferably by a specified date. He explained that his
failure to insist on the inclusion of all parties would expose
him to charges he is cooperating with the GOP in return for
special privileges that many believe he currently enjoys in
return for his support of the 17th amendment.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC)
--------------

4. (C) Rahman added he has explained his position to the EC who
is willing to provide assistance to a newly invigorated FEC.

Since Rahman anticipates the GOP's continuing manipulation of
the FEC, he insisted the EC link any future FEC assistance to a
GOP public statement respecting the FEC's independence from
executive and party influence. Rahman maintained such a
statement was also essential to persuade Pakistan's political
parties to participate in the process of legitimating and
empowering a permanent FEC head. He noted the GOP statement
must explicitly include the Pakistan Army who wields "the real
power" as demonstrated by its participation in the National
Security Council. Rahman characterized the GOP statement as a
minimal concession, burnishing the GOP's pro-democracy image.

INDIRECT SENATE ELECTIONS
--------------

5. (C) Chief Minister Durrani was skeptical that the Musharraf
government is committed to genuine democratic reform. He warned
that upcoming Senate elections on March 6 would prove to be a
repeat of the egregious vote-buying exercise witnessed in the
September 2005 nazim races, if a public vote is not substituted
for the existing secret vote in provincial assemblies. Durrani
noted the five PML-Q/PPP-S candidates standing for the NWFP
senate seats include two (PML-Q's Ammar Ahmed Khan and PPP-S'
Ghufran Khan) who are offering up to 10 million rupees for key
votes needed for their election.


6. (C) Note: On March 6, the members of each provincial
assembly will elect 11 senators to the upper house of the
National Assembly. In the NWFP, a successful senator-elect will
need sixteen provincial assembly votes. The PML-Q/PPP-S commands
only 23 votes in the NWFP assembly, making the election of more

PESHAWAR 00000094 002 OF 002


than one senator impossible unless assembly members cross party
lines. The existing secret vote system is therefore critical to
hide party cross-overs. End note.


7. (C) Durrani called on the GOP to institute a federal
ordinance stipulating a public show of hands for senate
elections, thereby providing for greater transparency in the
election process. In addition, he claimed an open vote permits
the public to better evaluate the performance of their
provincial representatives. While Durrani himself stands
accused of corrupt practices, he was not shy about labeling
PML-Q vote-buying as egregious, perpetuating corrupt practices
as senators-elect seek to recover their "vote investment."

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

8. (C) Why did these JUI-F leaders take pains to show they are
willing to cooperate with the GOP, even though they do not trust
President Musharraf and his party to follow through on any
democratic reforms? They probably fear being fingered for
obstructing a fledgling GOP reform process fostered by the West.
At the same time, the JUI-F has nothing to lose by hitching two
cars (all-party inclusion and at least declared FEC
independence) to the locomotive of a new FEC head. Such changes
are cast as minimal and reasonable, and therefore help to
counter charges that the JUI-F is insincere about reform. END
COMMENT.
SPANGLER