AMBASSADOR TO ECC: ON THE FRONTLINES OF ELECTION

UNCLAS KABUL 001848

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR TO ECC: ON THE FRONTLINES OF ELECTION
CREDIBILITY


1. (U) SUMMARY: On July 2, Ambassador Eikenberry and
Ambassador Carney visited the Electoral Complaints Commission
(ECC) and met with Chairman Grant Kippen and national
commissioners Fahim Hakim and Maulawi Mustafa Barakzai. The
Ambassador toured the ECC's Kabul headquarters and the
co-located Kabul regional office and met international and
Afghan ECC staff. In a private meeting with the
commissioners, the Ambassador discussed the delayed set-up of
ECC provincial offices, the importance of the ECC's mandate
and the future of the institution. End Summary

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Awaiting an Office, Creating a Presence
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2. (U) Kippen explained the many difficulties that the ECC
had faced during set-up due to delays in the UNDP procurement
process, but believed that a solution was underway in finding
locations for provincial offices. He thanked the Ambassador
for his responsiveness on this issue. The ECC has agreed to
co-locate with UNAMA in six provinces and with the Afghan
Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in an additional
five. The ECC has now signed contracts for all but five
provincial offices.


3. (U) To offset the delayed set-up, the ECC is encouraging
its provincial staff to engage with the community to
establish its presence. Kippen said that while the ECC is
maintaining a distance from the PRTs to demonstrate
impartiality and independence, it welcomes information on
fraud or electoral violations. The ECC plans to have
provincial offices operational by the third week of July,
which will allow for a second round of training before surge
of complaints expected in the build-up to and aftermath of
election day.

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Explaining the ECC Mission
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4. (SBU) The ECC has established a complaint management
database and will publish information on its website for
transparency. To assist provincial staff, the ECC created an
extensive handbook to assist with accepting complaints and
conducting investigations. The ECC also plans to host an
event for candidates to improve their understanding of the
complaints process, highlighting the limited scope of the
ECC's mandate and the standard of requiring evidence - not
rumor - as the basis of complaints. As of the time of the
meeting, the commissioners noted that the ECC had received
over 60 complaints against provincial council candidates, but
had not yet received complaints against presidential
candidates. It has since received complaints from at least
one presidential campaign (Ghani).

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The Future of the ECC
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5. (U) The Ambassador commended the commissioners for their
work on the front lines of the credibility for the elections.
Hakim noted the ECC's plans for the national commissioners
to engage with media and visit provincial offices to raise
awareness of the ECC mission. Barakzai thanked the
Ambassador for his support for a fair, transparent and just
election process, noting that an election must reflect the
will of the people and cannot impose an unwelcome result.


6. (U) The Ambassador asked the commissioners for their
vision of the future of the ECC and if the international
composition weakened the institution. Barakzai believed that
the international commissioners strengthened the ECC by
providing additional capacity and helping the national
commissioners withstand external pressures and influence.
Kippen noted that while the ECC has three international and
two national commissioners, the electoral law requires one
national commissioner for quorum. Barakzai and Hakim
concurred that a strengthened justice sector and court system
could eventually fill the ECC's role. Until then, the ECC
would continue providing a key electoral safeguard.
EIKENBERRY