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