IRAQI PARLIAMENT SPEAKER MASHADANI ON PROVINCIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000288

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2018
TAGS: PREL PINS PINR PROV
SUBJECT: IRAQI PARLIAMENT SPEAKER MASHADANI ON PROVINCIAL
POWERS, BUDGET, OTHER ISSUES

Classified By: PolCouns Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C) Summary: COR Speaker Mashadani told us on January 30
that he expects the Provincial Powers law to pass the CoR on
February 4. He does not agree with those arguing that a date
for elections should be in the law but does believe that
elections should be held as soon as possible, hopefully
within this year. The debate on 17 percent versus 13 percent
for the KRG is a serious obstacle to budget passage.
Mashadani liberally criticized the Kurds for acting only in
the interests of their region. The Speaker said that the
Iraqi negotiators on a bilateral strategic framework
agreement should be from the GOI, with the MFA in the lead.
He disagreed with those who want to put political party
representatives (i.e. CoR bloc leaders) in the mix, saying
that they would go in with their own agendas. End Summary.


2. (U) Political Counselor met with Council of
Representatives (CoR) Speaker Mahmoud Mashadani on January 30
at his Baghdad residence. Mashadani aide Alex Terchanian
along with Poloff and Political Specialist also participated.



3. (C) Mashadani said he is giving the Provincial Powers law
priority over the budget. He is confident that it will pass
on Monday (February 4). All of the debate comes down to the
fact that ISCI wants more authority for the provinces while
Dawa wants a stronger federal government. Fadhila, short
sightedly, only cares about the role of the current Basra
governor. IIP's position on the debate over decentralization
has been weak, and Mashadani claimed he had to exert his own
authority to give the Sunni Arab view. He declared that he
has given enough time to the members to sort out their
differences and so now he wants a final reading with
amendments getting an up or down vote from the CoR.


4. (C) Mashadani said that some want to set a date for
elections in the Provincial Powers law. He does not agree
but does think that elections should be held this year. He
spoke at some length about his efforts to get the Elections
Commission moving and ready for elections. PolCouns urged
him to press the IHEC to move forward on preparations for
elections, but Mashadani said the commission had to act on
its own initiative, otherwise it would appear as though it
was being influenced. Large numbers of Iraqis did not
participate in 2005 provincial elections and it's time they
had the chance to do so. Many political groups won't get the
people's support because of their leaders' behavior,
Mashadani predicted, and elections would produce new
leadership. He declared that a "closed list" electoral
system would not be acceptable to Iraqis. Tawafuq, for
instance, is not trusted by the public because the people did
not know for whom they were voting. Mashadani went on to
criticize efforts by PM Maliki's office and others to
influence the IHEC and vowed to stand in the way of such
interference. He singled out the PM's chief of staff as
behind efforts to interfere with the electoral commission,
stating that he acts "as if he were working for Saddam
Hussein".


5. (C) On the budget, Mashadani said key leaders have not
resolved their differences. KRG President Massoud Barzani is
insisting on 17 percent for the Kurdish region, but PM
Al-Maliki only wants to give 13 percent, undercutting the
budget his government was asking the CoR to approve.
According to Mashadani, the PM wants the COR to take on
Barzani's demand by reducing the percentage. The Kurds have
threatened to have President Talabani veto the budget if the
amount is reduced. Warming to the theme of blaming the
Kurds, Mashadani advocated passing the budget over the
objections of the Kurdish bloc, forcing Talabani to use a
veto. Then it will be obvious to all who is responsible for
holding up the work of government. He charged that the Kurds
in the COR are completely under the thumb of Talabani and
Barzani, so even if they think differently they are too
scared to stand up for what they believe. He hinted darkly
at continued oppressive means used by the KRG to keep people
in line. They are not acting like Iraqis, Mashadani stated.
Second Deputy Speaker Tayfour and the Kurdish delegates just
want to get what they can for Kurdistan and go home. The
Peshmerga debate illustrates this attitude. It is
unacceptable that they want the federal government to pay for
forces entirely under KRG control.


6. (C) Regarding the January 26 PCNS meeting at which
Maliki briefed CoR leaders on the framework for GOI LTSR
talks with the U.S., Mashadani said VP Hashimi and PM Maliki
favored including political party representatives in the
negotations. Mahsadani thought this a bad idea, since they
would pull the Iraqi side in various directions. By his
account, others at the discussion agreed with him. The talks
should be in the hands of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

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supported by the Ministries of Planning and Defense,
Mashadani said. The PM is ultimately responsible for coming
up with a draft agreement, passing it to the PCNS, and then
sending it to the CoR. Mashadani was interested in what
would happen to such an agreement in the U.S., given the
election year and frequent statements from candidates calling
for troop withdrawal from Iraq. He said Iraqis would want to
see that the U.S. Congress, and in particular Democratic
party leaders, approved the terms of a bilateral agreement
with Iraq. PolCouns told him it was normal in such
negotiations for the administration to brief appropriate
Congressional committees on a regular basis, but bilateral
agreements such as that currently envisioned with Iraq did
not trigger U.S. constitutional requirements for
Congressional ratification.
BUTENIS