CREATION OF NEW AFGHAN "COUNCIL OF MINORITIES"

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 002244


E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PTER USAID AF
SUBJECT: CREATION OF NEW AFGHAN "COUNCIL OF MINORITIES"

Classified By: Political Counselor Ann E. Pforzheimer for
reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Representatives of four minority ethnic
communities in Afghanistan (the Babar, the Baluch, the Bayat,
and the Hazaras) met with Embassy representatives on July
21st to announce the formation of a new organization to
represent minority communities in Afghanistan. The group,
which claims to represent between 32 and 34 minority tribes,
is in its initial stages of being founded, and has as its
goal the eventual formation of a political party to push for
minority community rights. The Council has not chosen a
candidate in the 2009 elections, though they have been
approached as a group by each of the major candidates in the
election. The Council intends to support a single
presidential candidate in 2014 who will represent minority
interests. End Summary.

New Group Formed to Represent Minority Interests
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2. (C) The four representatives (Abdul Ghafar Babur - Chief
of the Babar Tribal Council from Konduz; Khodai Nazar
Saramchar - founder of the Foundation for Baluch Council and
MP from Nimroz; Mohammad Anwar Bayat - founder of Bayat
Council and current representative to GIRoA from Western
Kabul; and Ali Akbar Mahmoodi - leader of smaller civil
societies and Hazara tribal elder from Uruzgan) claimed to
represent between 32 and 34 minority tribes across
Afghanistan. They said they were in the early stages of
forming their group, though they intended to make it into a
political party to pursue minority rights.


3. (C) Despite being in the early stages of their existence
as a group, they reported they had already been approached by
each of the leading presidential candidates (Karzai,
Abdullah, Ghani and Yasini),as well as some of the minor
ones. The Council had not yet decided which candidate to
endorse, but said their determination would be based on which
candidate would be support minority rights in Afghanistan.
The price of their support, they said, would only be in terms
of "rights" for minority groups in Afghanistan (they did not
specify what rights they referred to),rather than cabinet
positions, ministerial posts, or jobs.

Lack of Recognition of Ethnic and Tribal Minorities Leaves
Room for Opposition to Create Divisions
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4. (C) Ali Mahmoodi said there were two aspects of Afghan
society around which the whole society revolved: tribal
relations and religious affiliations. Mahmoodi noted that
Arts. 31 and 30 of the Afghan constitution explicitly
recognize two major religious groups in Afghanistan - the
Sunnis and the Shi'as. This recognition, he said, defused
the issue of religious differences, since both were
recognized as valid. Because of the loss of the issue of
religious division, those Ulema opposed to the democratic
government turned instead to tribal and ethnic differences as
the way to cause divisions and strife among the Afghans and
weaken the government. There was no recognition of tribal
issues and groups in the constitution, he said. The
constitution did nothing to bolster the tribes, and instead
caused the tribal structure to be weakened.


5. (C) The constitution, he continued, also did nothing to
recognize the various ethnic groups of the nation. (Note:
This is not totally accurate. Art. 4 expressly recognizes
Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Turkman, Baluch, Pachaie,
Nuristanis, Aymaqs, Arabs, Qirghiz, Qizilbash, Gujur, Brahwui
and "other tribes" as being Afghans. Though the constitution
does not appear to grant any specific status to the ethnic
groups, it does not deny any group citizenship status either.
End Note) The minority communities, he said, are demanding
the right to participate in the government, though no
candidate in the current election has promised specific ways
for minority groups to participate. The representatives were
concerned about the unwillingness of the candidates to say
what benefit the minority groups could expect to receive for
providing support to their candidacies.

Why Can Only Pashtuns Be President?
--------------


6. (C) Abdul Ghafar Babur expressed his frustration at the
common belief that only Pashtuns should be considered for the
presidency or for a possible prime-ministership. He believed
that with the help of pressure from the International
Community (IC),minority groups could be empowered to achieve
high offices in GIRoA despite the relative power of Pashtun
numbers. He did not assert that the law prohibited a
non-Pashtun president, but argued - correctly - that many
assumed a Pashtun would have to be president for the
foreseeable future for historical continuity and to appease
Pashtuns.

Appeal to the U.S.
--------------


7. (U) The group expressed its goals they said were in
common with the USG, such as promotion of democracy, women's
rights, and minority rights, then asked for financial support.


8. (C) Only days after our meeting with the Council of
Minorities, the group apparently had a falling out over whom
to support in the 2009 election, resulting in a split of
support between Abdullah Abdullah and Karzai. Though the
group has since reconciled and pledged to work together, they
have not chosen a single candidate to support.


9. (C) If the group were able to effectively organize and
coordinate their efforts, they could be a reasonably powerful
force: if they could really control the tribes they claim to
represent, and could convince them to vote as a block, they
could actually have a great deal of influence, controlling
anywhere from 11 - 15% of the vote. They would not have
enough power to win an election outright, with a great deal
of bargaining power. Post will continue to follow the
developments surrounding this group to determine whether they
are able to firmly establish themselves after this election.


EIKENBERRY