WASIT PROVINCIAL COUNCIL DISMISSES OPPOSITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002343

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2109
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: WASIT PROVINCIAL COUNCIL DISMISSES OPPOSITION
MEMBERS

REF: THIS IS A WASIT REPORTING CABLE

Classified By: PRT Team Leader Kevin Blackstone for Reason 1.4 (b and d
)


1. (SBU) The Wasit Provincial Council (PC) on Aug. 20 voted
to permanently remove two leading "opposition" figures,
Ghadanfar Kadim Ubayd (Iraqi List) and Majid Ali Askar
(Dawa-Maliki faction). The PC Chairman, Mahmud Abd Al-Rida
Talal (aka Haiji Mahmud-ISCI),initiated the removal process
and obtained precisely the sixteen necessary votes in the
28-member chamber. The action appears to bring an end to a
saga which began months ago when the two oppositionists filed
a series of lawsuits claiming that the selection of both
Wasit Governor Latif Tarfah and Mahmud was illegal and
calling for their removal by the courts. During this time,
Ghadanfar twice engaged Mahmud in fistfights in the PC's
chambers, the two men were temporarily banned from PC
meetings, and an ostensible reconciliation fell apart.


2. (SBU) Mahmud told Poloff that Ghadanfar and Ali Askar were
removed pursuant to two sections of the Provincial Powers
Act: Article 15.2 (the "Defamation" clause) and Article 8.7.
The PC Chair explained that their behavior in chambers (a
reference to the fisticuffs),"slanderous" remarks about the
PC to media, and negligence (accepting public salaries while
not actually performing any work) led to the sacking. Mahmud
denied the dismissals were payback for the legal challenges,
and said that the replacements would be chosen by Independent
High Electoral Commission (IHEC) from the next runners up on
the January 2009 election lists, i.e., the next top
vote-getters on the Iraqi List and Dawa Party electoral
lists. Mahmud added that he was sorry such a step was
necessary, but that a majority of PC members agreed with the
dismissals.

3. (SBU) Ghadanfar's view unsurprisingly differs from
Mahmud's assessment. He told Poloff that the dismissal was
political payback for challenging Mahmud and the Governor in
court and refusing to back down (NOTE: five other members
joined the original suit, but subsequently dropped off).
Ghadanfar, who himself aspired to be PC Chair at one point,
is the son of a prominent sheik and cousin of an influential
Wasit CoR member. He said he would possibly pursue a
reconciliation through tribal channels, but at the same time
threatened additional lawsuits against the entire PC;
subsequent to this conversation, he indeed filed suit in a
federal administrative court. Ghadanfar also appealed to the
PRT to intervene on his behalf, asserting that "the Americans
are a part of the political situation in Iraq" and should
intervene in the interests of democracy. Ali Askar, the Dawa
Chairman in al-Kut, has been less vocal, possibly because he
is under fire by critics within Dawa for poor handling of its
election campaign and general ineffectiveness.

4. (SBU) Poloff also spoke with the Chairman of IHEC about
the issue. The Chairman confirmed Mahmud's comments that the
next runners up on the respective electoral lists would be
selected for the PC if and when the court renders a decision.
This might take some time, and the Chairman offered that if
the oppositionists had powerful supporters, their dismissals
might be overturned. However, this seems unlikely to happen,
though the cases may drag on for some time.

5. (C) COMMENT: Both Ghadanfar and Mahmud have good
relations with the PRT and have proved willing to cooperate
and partner with us in the past. Ghadanfar's chief
allegations*that Latif does not have the legally-required
educational credentials and that the ISCI-Sadrist coalition
used questionable tactics to select the Governor*are
Qused questionable tactics to select the Governor*are
probably accurate. It is also probably true that Ghadanfar
and Ali Askar are poor standard bearers for constitutional
integrity. Their antics and demeanor do not help their
cause, and despite the Governor's unpopularity, the two men
appear to have limited public support. Haiji Mahmud is
evolving into a skilled politician and increasingly testing
the limits of the Provincial Council's constitutional
authority. More so than the incompetent Latif, the PC Chair
is now calling most of the shots politically in Wasit. END
COMMENT.
HILL