Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAGHDAD1588
2007-05-15 05:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

BAGHDAD MODERATES WANT CHANGES IN PROVINCIAL

Tags:  ASEC KDEM PGOV PINR PINS IZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5125
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #1588/01 1350508
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 150508Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1161
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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).

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