PHASE 4 VOTER REGISTRATION IMPERFECT BUT UNDERWAY

UNCLAS KABUL 000154 SENSITIVE SIPDIS KABUL FOR COS USFOR-A STATE FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, S/CRS STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG NSC FOR JWOOD OSD FOR MCGRAW CG CJTF-101, POLAD, JICCENT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM PGOV AF SUBJECT: PHASE 4 VOTER REGISTRATION IMPERFECT BUT UNDERWAY REF: KABUL 0132 ¶1. (SBU) Phase 4 of the voter registration update opened largely on schedule on January 20 in Nimroz, Kandahar, and Uruzgan. A broken-down truck delayed delivery of material to Helmand. According to IEC headquarters, voter registration operations will open as early as January 21 in six districts in Helmand. REFTEL provides more details on delays in this province. Two of seven sites in Nimroz, two of eleven in Uruzgan, and three of 35 sites in Kandahar did not open because materials were late. Local officials expect to open these sites January 21, ¶2. (SBU) Despite a challenging security environment, Provincial Electoral Officers (PEOs) in all four provinces have recruited staff and set up operations. Daoud Ali Najafi, the IEC's Chief Technical Officer, confirmed that all districts in Kandahar province are operating or will operate voter registration sites, even the troubled district of Nesh, where other government representatives do not operate. As noted REFTEL, as many as five districts in Helmand may or may not open due to security concerns. ¶3. (SBU) Cooperation between Afghan security forces and electoral officials has been good. The Afghan National Police deployed a general to each province specifically to assist in coordinating voter registration security. All materials traveled by road with Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army security escorts. In Uruzgan, Helmand, and Kandahar, provincial electoral officials have arranged to liaise with the police and army at the provincial security coordination centers; these centers also have an international liaison officer present. The Afghan National Army (ANA) has no presence in Nimroz, but regional-level officers have planned for an ANA quick reaction force to support the police. ¶4. (SBU) The Governors of Uruzgan, Nimroz, and Helmand (REFTEL) held public events to encourage voter participation. In Nimroz, Governor Ghulam Dastagir led an opening day ceremony at the IEC's provincial office in Zaranj, backed by the provincial chief of police. The governor of Uruzgan held a similar event. WOOD