PRT DIYALA: THE KURDISTAN ALLIANCE OUTLINES

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000617

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2019
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: PRT DIYALA: THE KURDISTAN ALLIANCE OUTLINES
POLICY PRIORITIES FOR NEW PROVINCIAL COUNCIL

Classified By: PRT Diyala Leader George White for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (U) This is a PRT Diyala Reporting Cable.


2. (C) SUMMARY: PRT Diyala met the newly elected Provincial
Council (PC) members from the Kurdistan Alliance (KA),the
Kurdish bloc in Diyala, which is likely to be included in any
governing coalition. Although the PRT has worked with
representatives of the KA in the past, this was the first
meeting with the newly elected PC members. They focused
their comments on the KA's platform rather than coalition
discussions among the winning lists or disputed boundaries
issues in north eastern Diyala. END SUMMARY.


3. (C) On February 25, PRT Diyala met with the newly elected
PC members of the Kurdistan Alliance, along with departing PC
Chairman Ibrahim Bajelan and incumbent Assistant Governor
Imad Jaleel Abdullah. Although the KA was represented in the
outgoing Provincial Council, the new PC members are Talib
Muhammad Hasan Muhammad (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
party-PUK),Jalil Ibrahim Mahmud Ahmad (Kurdistan Democratic
Party-KDP),Deler Hasan Sayeh (PUK),Ziyad Ahmad Sa'id
(Kurdistan Islamic Union-KIU),Nisrin Bahjat Muhammad Saleh
(PUK),and Zaynab Hassuni Safar (Social Democratic Party of
Kurdistan-PSDK). Talib introduced himself as the likely next
PC Chairman. These six represent four of the six parties
that make up the KA, but we did not note any discernible
policy differences between the different party
representatives.

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PLATFORM
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4. (C) The PUK's Talib led the presentation of the Kurdish
Alliance platform, although the KIU's Ziyad Ahmad Said also
contributed heavily. Talib articulated the KA slogan as
"Peace, Brotherhood, and Reconstruction," noting the diverse
demographics of Diyala Province. Talib listed seven key
topics making up the KA platform: 1) Stability and Security,;
2) Anti-corruption; 3) Employment; 4) Provision of Basic
Services; 5) Agricultural Development; 6) Support for mothers
and children and opposition to gender discrimination; and, 7)
Reconstruction of remote regions.


5. (C) Ziyad expanded on several of these topics,
emphasizing both economic development and provision of
services, as well as human rights issues such as support for
women's rights and support for NGOs. Regarding Stability and
Security, Talib called for the formation of strong national
security institutions representing all sects and groups (a
veiled reference to the 98 percent Shi'a make up of Iraqi
Police and Iraqi Army units). He also emphasized the
importance of border security; Ziyad echoed concerns about
Iran)-noting in particular the Government of Iraq's (GOI)
indifference to the Iranians allegedly draining oil reserves
near the Diyala-Iran border.

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RELATIONS WITH THE PREVIOUS PC AND BUDGET ISSUES
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6. (C) In deference to current PC Chairman Ibrahim Bajelan
(also present in our meeting),the new Kurdish PC members
stated a desire to build on the accomplishments of the
previous PC, and called for active engagement with the
previous council to learn from its experience.

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RELATIONS WITH THE U.S.
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7. (C) Ziyad expressed gratitude on behalf of all Kurds to
the United States for democracy, elections, and liberation
from the Ba'athist regime. He emphasized that Kurds
understood that any mistakes made by individual Americans did
not reflect USG policy. Reflecting Kurdish support for an
ongoing U.S. role in Iraq, he noted that he is looking
Qongoing U.S. role in Iraq, he noted that he is looking
forward to four years of cooperation with the PRT.


8. (C) Current PC Chair Bajelan accused outgoing Governor
Ra'ad (Shi'a) of seeking to sabotage Diyala's incoming
provincial government's prospects for success by returning
several hundred million dollars in unexpended funds from
previous budget years to the GOI treasury. Bajelan claimed
that returning this money would leave the incoming PC with no
funds at its disposal for new projects during its first year
in office. According to Bajelan, outgoing Governor Ra'ad had
directed the Provincial Budget Manager to return the
unexpended funds.


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COMMENT
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9. (S) The KA members did not discuss coalition formation
with the other winning lists, but the KA has been amenable to
working with both Sunni and Shi'a Arab lists. We note that
recent intel reports suggest that Diyala winning list (9
seats) Tawafuq may not agree to give the KA the PC
Chairmanship, despite Talib's assertion that he will be the
next PC Chair. Other sources have told us that the Kurds are
also seeking one of the two deputy governor positions in
addition to the chairmanship of the Provincial Council; if
this is the case, the wrangling over the actual composition
of the PC could delay the seating of the new government until
late March.


10. (SBU) Although all six Kurdish PC members are from
Khanaqin, none commented on the disputed status of the area,
and they avoided commenting on the implementation of Article
140, an issue that is a top priority for the Kurdistan
parties at the national level and one that could have
dramatic ramifications for both Khanaqin and Diyala province
as a whole. END COMMENT.
BUTENIS