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. -------------- PLATFORM -------------- ¶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. -------------- --- RELATIONS WITH THE PREVIOUS PC AND BUDGET ISSUES -------------- --- ¶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. -------------- RELATIONS WITH THE U.S. -------------- ¶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. BAGHDAD 00000617 002 OF 002 -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶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