PRT SALAH AD DIN: LOCAL IRAQIS CONSIDER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001412

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2019
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: PRT SALAH AD DIN: LOCAL IRAQIS CONSIDER
DISTRICT/SUB-DISTRICT ELECTIONS CRITICAL FOR PROGRESS

Classified By: PRT Salah Ad Din team leader Rick Bell for reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d).

This is a PRT Salah ad Din (SaD) reporting cable.

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


1. (SBU) The postponement of local (District and Sub-District
level) elections presents a major obstacle to the development
of democracy in SaD Province. Currently, local officials in
SaD lack legitimacy because they were largely appointed by
CF/DoS under the CPA, rather than elected by Iraqis. There
is a growing imbalance of legitimacy between sub-provincial
officials and those elected at provincial and national
levels, making it extremely difficult for local officials to
lobby higher levels for resources. Many local officials are
fatigued and demoralized from years of living with a
dysfunctional system. Since cities are run by sub-provincial
officials, there is little chance of establishing effective
governance at the basic level until new officials with
legitimacy and motivation take office. Without that, Iraqis
will continue to try to cope, working around their government
and falling back on tribalism. The optimism shown by the
high turn-out in the January provincial elections risks being
frittered away if local elections are delayed too long. END
SUMMARY.

UNELECTED OFFICIALS LACK LEGITIMACY
--------------


2. (SBU) Local officials lack legitimacy in the eyes of their
constituents and other government officials because the
process by which they entered office is not considered
legitimate. Most were appointed by Americans under CPA,
and have been maintaining their positions since; some are
less than enthusiastic about public service. It is a
commonly-held view that most local officials are corrupt and
incompetent. Even the few officials considered honest and
capable still use their influence to pass out benefits along
tribal lines. Many local officials are fatigued and
demoralized from years of working in a dysfunctional
governance system in the face of complaints from their
constituents and threats from insurgents.


3. (C) For their part, local officials complain that they
have no money and get virtually no support from provincial or
national level authorities (NOTE: The lowest level of
governance with budgetary authority is the province. END
NOTE). There may also be a lapse in their legal authority:
some in SaD believe that the new Provincial Powers Law (PPL)
applies to sub-provincial levels until after new officials
are elected and take office. Local officials have complained
to the PRT that their lack of authority hinders their
dealings with private investors, who need an authoritative
negotiating partner. The lack of authority also contributes
to the widely-held view that all officials below provincial
level are ineffective.


4. (C) We are already seeing examples of reduced reliance on
district and sub-district government. In the district of
Tuz, the two sub-districts (Amerli and Sulayman Beg) refuse
to work through district officials, taking all of their
business directly to the Provincial Council. A senior
political party leader in Tuz, (head of ISCI) Ali Hashem,
told the PRT that all three Tuz councils need to be
"refreshed." Similarly, senior officials from the district
of Ad-Dawr have complained to the PRT that local sheikhs are
in the habit of completely bypassing the district council and
representing the tribes directly with provincial officials.


5. (SBU) Local officials face the additional challenge of
learning to function in the new system of decentralized
democratic governance. This is a considerable challenge for
Qdemocratic governance. This is a considerable challenge for
local officials: initiative was discouraged under the former
(centralized, undemocratic) system, but is necessary under a
decentralized system. Local officials find it difficult to
lobby effectively for their priorities when they lack
legitimacy in the eyes of those at higher levels of
government.


6. (SBU) PRT contacts report an overwhelming popular
consensus in favor of open-list elections (in which the
voters know who each list's candidates are and can vote for
specific candidates) as opposed to closed-list (in which the
lists do not even have to decide whom to put in office until
after the elections, when they know how many seats they have
won).

EMBASSY BAGHDAD COMMENT
--------------


BAGHDAD 00001412 002 OF 002



7. (C) As the PPL goes into effect, we hear reports that
provincial councils are centralizing their authority. In
many cases, this means taking authority from district
councils in order to consolidate power within the newly
elected provincial councils. District and sub-district
politicians can be left feeling powerless, and eager to
participate in elections of their own. However, the Iraqi
Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) tells us that it
will not be able to administer local elections until there is
a clear understanding of district and sub-district
boundaries. END EMBASSY BAGHDAD COMMENT.
HILL