MINOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DECRY LACK OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002334

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: MINOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DECRY LACK OF
TRANSPARENCY


1. (U) At a meeting with fifteen minor presidential
candidates at the Crystal Hotel, Ambassador Carney faced a
barrage of complaints and concerns from the slate of
candidates. Some even threatened to hold demonstrations or
boycotts of the election if their concerns are not addressed.
In response, Ambassador Carney re-affirmed America's
commitment to partnering with Afghanistan to achieve free and
fair elections and assured the group that the election would
take place as planned on August 20. He urged candidates to
consider the future of Afghanistan and their own interests in
deciding on courses of action. End Summary.

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Elections Won't be Free and Fair
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2. (SBU) The candidates, led by Mohammed Esmael Qasimyar, the
first vice presidential candidate for Hedaiat Amin Arsallah,
used their meeting with Ambassador Carney to lodge a series
of complaints about the upcoming election. The chief
complaints stemmed from the candidates' fears that the
election would not be transparent, that President Karzai is
abusing his power by having ministers and governors campaign
for him, and that the IEC is not independent but controlled
by Karzai cronies who will all land top jobs in the next
administration. Candidates raised the issue of money in the
campaign several times, and they also lobbed allegations that
the top-tier candidates were spending millions on their
campaigns, with no indication of where the money was coming
from. Candidates claimed that international funding,
including from NGOs, is being misused and that top candidates
are also receiving money from drug smugglers and intelligence
agencies.

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System Stacked Against Them
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3. (SBU) As the election draws to a close, the minor
candidates insisted that the international community had
lavished attention on the top three candidates and had made a
major mistake by not meeting with the other candidates. Some
even alleged that the top candidates are using international
assistance to fund their campaigns. When candidates host
lavish campaign rallies with gifts and food for their
supporters, no one questions where the money is coming from,
they said. They blamed the IEC for turning a blind eye to the
issue of money in the campaign. Further, they said that the
IEC should be renamed because it is not independent, that it
has been unresponsive to their concerns, and is instead
working on behalf of certain candidates. The preeminence of
the top three candidates in the eyes of the international
community, they alleged, is damaging to the future of the
country because the top tier are just warring amongst
themselves and not providing any vision on how they will lead
the country.

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Protests Promised
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4. (SBU) In what appeared to be a half-hearted threat, the
group asserted that if the IEC and international community
fail to resolve the problems they outlined before election
day, they are considering staging wide-scale demonstrations
or even urging their supporters to boycott the election
because they do not believe the elections will be free or
fair. They demanded a guarantee that there will be full
participation of the Afghan people on election day and that
the attempted interference of neighboring countries in the
election will be stymied. Dr. Mohammad Ali Nabizada, Ashraf
Ghani's second vice presidential candidate, emphasized his
fear that weapons are streaming across the borders to the
north and west of Afghanistan, forecasting violence on
election day sponsored by Afghanistan's neighbors.

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Committed to August 20
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5. (SBU) In response to the concerns raised, Ambassador
Carney emphasized above all that the election will take place
as planned on August 20. He said that the international
community is here to act as Afghanistan's partner in the
elections, but stressed that this is Afghanistan's election
and that it is the Afghan people's responsibility to ensure
the best possible election for the future of Afghanistan.
Acknowledging the candidates' threat to boycott the election,
Ambassador Carney stated that it is up to them to decide to
participate in the election and help build a new future for
Afghanistan or to stay out. He reminded them of the thirty

KABUL 00002334 002 OF 002


years of war the country has experienced, and how this
election represents their future. In a plug for the ECC,
Ambassador Carney encouraged candidates to bring their
complaints to the ECC, which he said would soon be issuing
public responses to many of the complaints filed so far. The
ECC represents the future of fair elections in Afghanistan
and all candidates should work to strengthen it, he argued.
He addressed security concerns by saying that there is
significant coordination being undertaken between
international forces and the ANSF to provide security on
election day. Fraud remains a top concern, he said, and he
asserted that any election officials who perpetuate fraud
will be breaking the law. While he acknowledged that some may
try to get batches of ballots, claiming they are for the
women of their household, he noted that the electoral
authorities are aware of this illegal practice, and hoped
such incidents would be few, also expressing his hope that
people would begin to move away from voting on ethnic lines
and more on issues. It is for the Afghan people to decide, he
said, to create the conditions to make the elections free and
fair.

EIKENBERRY