IRAQI PM CHIEF OF STAFF PROVIDES HIS THOUGHTS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000313

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: IRAQI PM CHIEF OF STAFF PROVIDES HIS THOUGHTS ON
CABINET RESHUFFLE

Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad per 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Tariq
Abdullah provided his thoughts on changing the composition of
the Cabinet to the Mission's PM Office Liaison on January 24.
Abdullah said the Prime Minister is considering either
forming a new government or replacing about half of his
ministers, to include the Sadrist ministers, the Ministers of
Defense, Interior, Finance, Oil, and Foreign Affairs, and
four Tawafuq ministers. Abdullah recommended a possible
candidate for a Sadrist ministry and noted the Prime Minister
was open for suggestions for candidates. END SUMMARY.

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Option One: Form a New Cabinet
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2. (C) Abdullah said the Prime Minister envisioned two
options: forming a new government or making a more limited
cabinet shuffle. Abdullah said the Prime Minister preferred
to form a new government if the various political factions
would agree. According to Abdullah, Maliki would remove the
Ministries of Health, Transportation, and Foreign Affairs
from the political quota system and allocate them on a
non-partisan basis, similar to the Ministries of Defense and
Interior. Abdullah said Maliki believes the Ministries of
Health, Transportation, and Foreign Affairs are currently
mismanaged.

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Option Two: Change Specific Problematic Ministers
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3. (C) If forming a new government is not feasible, Maliki
would like to change about half of the ministers in his
cabinet. Abdullah said the Prime Minister would change all
the Sadrist ministers. He would also change the Ministers
Defense, Interior, Finance, and Oil. Maliki would allow
current Minister of Finance Bayan Jabr to remain in the
cabinet if he were changed to Minister of Housing, and he
prefers having Transitional Government Minister of Finance
Ali Allawi return to the ministry.


4. (C) According to Abdullah, Maliki would like to replace
four ministers belonging to Tawafuq. Maliki would like to
replace Deputy Prime Minister for Services Salam al-Zawba'I,
because he is has not been been able to forge a working
relationship with Zawba'i and accuses him of gross
mismanagement. Maliki would like to replace the Minister of
Culture Asad al-Hashemi, who he says is accused of having
links to terrorists. Abdullah said Maliki also would replace
the Ministers of Higher Education and Foreign Affairs for
poor performance.


5. (C) Abdullah said Maliki also would like to change the
Kurdish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hoshayr Zebari.
According to Abdullah, Maliki thinks Zebari's travels have
not benefited Iraq. Maliki also thinks the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has not provided the necessary support and
articulation of Iraq's policies, and has suffered from
Zebari's constant absences and poor management.

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Nominee for a Sadrist Ministry
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6. (C) Abdullah noted the Prime Minister is open to
suggestions for nominations for posts. He suggested the
current Baghdad Deputy Mayor for Municipal Affairs Naeem
Aboob as a potential replacement for one of the Sadrist
ministers. According to Abdullah, Aboob is the top Sadrist
at city hall and is a very popular member of the Baghdad
Provincial Council. Abdullah said Aboob has been the lead
advocate for cooperation with the Baghdad PRT despite
constant pressures from the Sadrists to stop his cooperation.
Abdullah said he has known Aboob for approximately two years
and believes he will be a professional and cooperative
minister. Abdullah added he would be a good candidate for
the Minister of Agriculture or Transportation because of his
technical training and professional experience.

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Comment
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7. (C) The Prime Minister has lamented his inability to
choose his own ministers and has been discussing cabinet
changes since at least September. However, the political
parties view the ministries as political entitlements and as
sources of patronage, and under Iraq's Constitution, the
Council of Representatives must approve both dismissal and
appointment of ministers, in effect requiring political

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consensus for cabinet changes. During Abdullah's recent
visit to Washington, he told US diplomats the Prime Minister
asked in December for the parties to give him names of
possible replacements for various ministers. Maliki gave the
parties a ten-day deadline, but they did not respond.
Nevertheless, Maliki and Abdullah have not pushed the parties
for names.
SPECKHARD