ABDULLAH: UNINSPIRED PLATFORM AND WEAK TICKET BUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 001521

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: ABDULLAH: UNINSPIRED PLATFORM AND WEAK TICKET BUT
NO SURRENDER

REF: A. KABUL1486

B. KABUL1296

C. KABUL1174

Classified By: Political Counselor Alan Yu for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: A week away from the June 16 official start
to the campaign season, United Front presidential candidate
Abdullah Abdullah told polcouns he was disappointed by the
recent defection of Wahdat and Junbesh leadership to the
Karzai camp, a move he attributed to manipulation by Turkish
authorities. On the other hand, Abdullah was encouraged by
the recent decisions, if not public endorsements, by several
MPs, Balkh Governor Atta, and Ayatollah Mohseni to back him.
Abdullah described his campaign platform as focused on
establishing a parliamentary system and providing for the
election of governors and mayors. He also would allocate
more resources to northern and western provinces. Abdullah
spent a large part of the meeting discussing alleged
manipulation of the election by President Karzai and others.

Campaign
--------------


2. (C) On June 8 Abdullah Abdullah told polcouns he would
focus his campaign on a decentralization of authority
platform, including advocating for a parliamentary system and
elected governors and mayors. He also supports allocating
additional development assistance to northern and western
provinces. His campaign has opened offices in Kabul,
Paktika, Paktya, Nangarhar, and Takhar and planned several
others.


3. (C) Abdullah argued provincial election officials (PEOs)
were biased in favor of Karzai. However, when challenged for
specific examples of misconduct, he did not provide any. It
is too late to hire and train all new officials, but the IEC
should reduce potential corruption by rotating PEOs to new
provinces, he said. In this way the IEC would retain the
officials' technical expertise but would cut off their local
ties and potential related misconduct, Abdullah asserted.

Supporters: Declared and Otherwise
--------------


4. (C) Abdullah said Balkh Governor Atta had agreed to
support him, an assertion backed by Governor Atta's recent
remarks to our PRT Officer (reftel A). Abdullah also claimed
increasing numbers of MPs had aligned with him and would
publicly declare their support after the June 16 campaign
season start. One MP planned a pro-Abdullah rally in western
Kabul and predicted 3000-4000 would attend. Ayatollah
Mohseni told Abdullah that although he would not publicly
endorse a presidential candidate, he would use his influence
to garner votes for Abdullah.

Blaming Turkey
--------------


5. (C) Abdullah alleged Junbesh and Wahdat leadership
abandoned him the same day he planned to register with
high-level vice presidential candidates from those parties
(reftels B,C). Abdullah accused Turkish authorities of
direct intervention with Junbesh and Wahdat leaders to
persuade them to drop Abdullah and back Karzai. A Turkish
diplomat visited Sayed Noorullah's house on that same day,
Abdullah alleged. Abdullah claimed, however, that large
numbers of rank and file Junbesh and Wahdat members have
affirmed their continuing support for his campaign.

EIKENBERRY