BAGHDAD MODERATES WANT CHANGES IN PROVINCIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001588 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2017 TAGS: ASEC KDEM PGOV PINR PINS IZ SUBJECT: BAGHDAD MODERATES WANT CHANGES IN PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS REF: BAGHDAD 1552 Classified By: Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Charles O. Bla ha for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (U) This is a Baghdad PRT reporting cable. This cable is the second of a series describing political moderates in Baghdad and efforts to encourage moderate politicians and empower moderate movements. ¶2. (U) SUMMARY: Baghdad moderates are frustrated with Baghdad's governing elite and the political parties they serve. They criticized the electoral system that brought those parties to power in 2005 as the major roadblock to real democratic progress in Baghdad. These moderates want to see an electoral system that holds representatives accountable to residents of Baghdad's 15 districts, instead of merely to their party leaders. They argued that Provincial Council members who serve a specific geographic district in Baghdad would more likely support reconciliation efforts across the city's troubled neighborhoods. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- Local council members frustrated with national parties -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Karkh District Council (DC) member Shatha Obedie, a notable secular Shiite in provincial government, said that the political parties currently in parliament "will never come to any agreement" about Iraq's future. Adnan Abd Al-Saheb (Rusafa DC) said that Baghdad is on the "verge of catastrophe" and that the religious parties running the Government of Iraq (GoI) and Baghdad Provincial Council (PC) largely comprise "foreigners" with little regard for Baghdad's citizens. Adnan, who considers himself a secular liberal, has served as a District Council member since 2003; he also served as chairman of the now-defunct Baghdad City Council (dissolved by the Baghdad PC in 2005). He criticized the USG for allowing "radicals" to take over Iraq's government, weakening opportunities for progressive politics, and then sending the message to moderate and independent politicians that "this is your country - it's not our problem." ¶4. (C) Local council members who have served continually since the CPA days often convey feelings of disappointment and betrayal related to the elections of January 2005, which they believe radically altered the political landscape in Baghdad. Those elections replaced a Provincial Council created through a series of local community caucuses with a council populated by members of Iraq's national political parties who serve no geographic constituencies. Although they recognize that a complete return to the CPA local council system is impossible, these local leaders all stated their hope that some kind of geographic representation at the provincial level would improve Baghdad's politics. -------------- -------------- Baghdad Provincial Council should have representation from its 15 districts -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Mohammed al-Rubeiy, an independent moderate and Karadah District Council Chairman (and PC Chairman prior to 2005),told PRToff that the fundamental problem with politics in Baghdad stems from the treatment of the entire province as a single electoral district during the 2005 elections. The 51 members represent their respective parties, but they do not represent specific districts of Baghdad. The Provincial Council not only lacks Sunni political parties, al-Rubeiy said, it also lacks elected representatives from Sunni areas, such as Abu Ghraib or Tarmiya, who will advocate for those troubled communities. ¶6. (C) Al-Rubeiy also said that geographical constituencies will help reconciliation efforts, because political leaders representing an area cannot easily neglect minority population groups within their district without facing political criticism. Right now, Al-Rubeiy observed, Shia politicians have absolutely no electoral incentive to care about Sunni neighborhoods. He claimed that these politicians would be forced to seek the votes of minority groups if they were elected to represent a district. To build strong, long-term political backing, smart politicians would see the benefit in serving as many potential voters in their district as possible. A broad base of support from all sects in their district would help them face off rivals from within their own party or sect, al-Rubeiy explained. ¶7. (C) Al-Rubeiy told PRToff that he has heard many concerns about running multiple-district elections, including a massive voter-registration drive, but he remains unfazed. BAGHDAD 00001588 002 OF 002 "If the major problem is a census," al-Rubeiy said, "then help us do a census." Members of Baghdad's local councils can assist with efforts to identify and document internally displaced persons (IDPs). Regardless of the challenges, al-Rubeiy said that he believes they must be overcome to give Baghdad a more responsive and responsible government. "The next Provincial Council elections must be by district," al-Rubeiy said, "or democracy does not have a chance". -------------- -------------- Not just local council leaders; an ex-Da'wa party leader speaks out -------------- -------------- ¶8. (C) Al-Rubeiy's attitude and comments reflect those of many local council members who work regularly with PRT. Political leaders of Baghdad's major parties, however, have also expressed dissatisfaction. Many are looking for ways to change the system from within. Mazin Makiya served as the Baghdad PC Chairman from March 2005 until December 2005, at which point the PC held a special session to replace him with the majority SCIRI party leader, Mueen al-Khademi. Mazin was the leading member of the Da'wa bloc on the council, elected in January 2005, but decided to leave Da'wa party to run on an independent ticket during the December 2005 national elections. His departure from Da'wa was the pretext for SCIRI to demand that he step down as Chairman. ¶9. (C) Mazin believes the lack of district representation on the PC poses a major problem for Baghdad's goverment. During his tenure as PC Chairman, Mazin identified the lack of local input as a weakness of the PC, and instituted regular meetings with District Council leaders. Mazin said that he has spoken to members of the PC and the CoR in hopes that they can influence electoral legislation, but thinks that the entrenched parties have no incentive to change a system that clearly benefits them. "The leaders of the parties have too much control," Mazin said. ¶10. (C) Despite his departure from the council, Mazin remains a powerful figure on the PC. He expressed disdain for the "religious zealots" that he believes currently lead Da'wa and the other major Shia parties on the PC, SCIRI and Fadhila. Mazin has also criticized current PC Chairman Mueen al-Khademi for his slavish loyalty to SCIRI party leadership; he noted that Mueen spends a fair amount of time in Iran, and said that this habit clearly indicates the constituency Mueen intends to serve. Most importantly, Mazin hopes to alter the political landscape in Iraq by reaching out to Fadhila members, moderate Sadrists, key Sunnis, and members of the Da'wa party that he departed. He hopes to find common ground upon which to create a new coalition. CROCKER