PRT SALAH AD DIN: OLD AND NEW PROVINCIAL COUNCIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000560 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2019 TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL IZ SUBJECT: PRT SALAH AD DIN: OLD AND NEW PROVINCIAL COUNCIL MEMBERS MEET, THE COALITION POT SIMMERS REF: BAGHDAD 454 Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor John G. Fox for reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is a PRT Salah ad Din reporting cable. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: The Chairman of the outgoing Salah ad Din (SaD) Provincial Council (PC) hosted an introductory meeting on March 1 for members of the outgoing and incoming PC's. The outgoing PC members offered their full support to the incoming officials. Participants praised the meeting as an historic step in SaD's democratic process. While newly elected PC members publicly express interest in a unified government, PRT sources tell us that there is a movement afoot to isolate new PC members from Samarra, whom others consider to be "Islamist." END SUMMARY. ¶3. (U) On March 1, the outgoing SAD PC Chair, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad Asman, hosted a meeting for members of the outgoing and incoming PCs at the PC building in Tikrit. Most of the old PC members and 22 of the 28 new members attended (only four old members were re-elected). This was an unofficial, introductory meeting, as the election results have not been certified yet. ¶4. (SBU) Outgoing PC leaders briefed the new members on key issues. The presentation on the province's investment budget was particularly sobering. Despite the bad news -- e.g., 2007 and 2008 budget shortfalls will require 2009 budget funds to complete projects from those years -- new PC members voiced their determination to overcome obstacles and work together to serve the province. Outgoing members committed themselves to support the incoming officials and promised to make themselves available as needed. ¶5. (U) The outgoing Chairman organized the meeting without any USG prodding or involvement; the PRT and Coalition Forces learned about the meeting only one day in advance. Participants and observers agreed that the meeting was an historic step in SaD's democratic process and in the peaceful transition of power in the province. ¶6. (SBU) The Dean of the Law School at Tikrit University, Dr. Amer Ayash, hosted a similar meeting earlier in the week. Some observers speculated that the Dean was positioning himself as a compromise candidate for Governor, as the Governor need not be a PC member and Dr. Amer has political ambitions. His initiative seemed highly appreciated and was well attended. -------------- COALITION BUILDING -------------- ¶7. (C) New PC members publicly state their intention to build a coalition including all 28 PC members who won seats. (NOTE: Ten lists won PC seats on the 28-seat council, but none won more than five seats. END NOTE). PRT contacts say there are enough positions available to give all nine lists a role in government and to include some lists that won no seats: Governor and two Deputies; PC Chair and Deputy; two additional "ma'awon" ("Governor's Assistant") slots in addition to the existing three, and seven new "advisors" to the Governor. However, PRT sources also report a budding move to isolate the 11 new members from Samarra, who are all perceived as Islamists even though they ran with eight different lists. Despite the high credibility of the elections in SAD (reftel),the PRT continues to hear complaints that the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) somehow stole votes; since all the IIP winners are from Samarra, the complaints presumably add to the resentment against Samarra members. BUTENIS