BASHARDOST PREACHES POPULIST GOSPEL TO AMBASSADOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002831

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: BASHARDOST PREACHES POPULIST GOSPEL TO AMBASSADOR

REF: KABUL 2293

Classified By: D/Pol Counselor Victoria Alvarado for reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d).


1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador met with presidential
candidate and MP Ramazan Bashardost at his tent near
Parliament on September 14. Bashardost was congenial, often
quoting U.S. Presidents like John F. Kennedy, and noting his
strong support of President Obama. The Ambassador
congratulated Bashardost on his significant contribution to
the election debate, while Bashardost thanked the Ambassador
for U.S. support for Afghanistan's elections. The candidate
emphasized that now was the time to speak strongly against
human rights offenders, provide a better life for normal
Afghans to prevent violence, and ensure international
contractors do not pocket assistance funds. He urged the
United States to support the Electoral Complaints Commission
(ECC) and its auditing and recount procedures, including by
helping support the ECC's transportation needs. We
concurred, and informed him that the U.S. Mission Air is
already providing the necessary transport support for the
fraud investigators. End Summary.

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Bashardost Gets 9 Percent - So Far
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2. (C) Bashardost is a member of the Lower House of
Parliament and the former Planning Minister under Karzai
(reftel). He was dismissed after having announced that all
international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should be
declared illegal and removed from the country. He is known
as an eccentric populist who donates his salary to the poor
and often sleeps in a tent (reftel). He has a penchant for
confronting warlords about their human rights records and
corruption. He received 9.2% of the preliminary votes
according to the September 12 International Elections
Commission (IEC) announcement. Bashardost appeals to what he
says are "average Afghans." Our interlocutors tell us day
laborers and Hazaras are among some of his most strident
followers. He did well in Hazara-heavy provinces like
Bamyan, but also received votes in heavily Tajik and Pashtun
areas, which lends credence to his claims of being more of a
cross-ethnic candidate than some of the others. His primary
campaign issue was anti-corruption.

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Stop Warlord Support
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3. (C) Thanking us for our visit, the French-educated
Bashardost noted that this was the first time an American
Ambassador had come to his tent. He seemed to interpret our
call as an important symbolic gesture. Bashardost commented
that previous U.S. Ambassadors had enjoyed tea with warlords,
but not with him. The tone of the meeting was very positive.
He made frequent positive references to U.S. democracy,
former presidents, such as John F. Kennedy and Abraham
Lincoln, as well as President Barack Obama. He also remarked
that, "Obama needs to be told that if you do not speak
strongly to the warlords and Karzai, they will think you are
afraid." He noted these "human rights abusers" are currently
enjoying large houses, many wives and cars, all thanks to
U.S. taxpayers.


4. (C) He suggested that a clear change in policy occur
following the elections. Specifically, traditional figures,
such as Sayyaf, Khalili, Dostum, Fahim and Rabbani, should
move on to make room for a younger Afghan generation. This
new generation should be empowered with ministerial and other
prominent political roles. Otherwise, "the Afghans would
only view the Americans as supporting the human rights
offenders that killed their families." He also warned that
if there is no real change in this policy in the next two
years, Afghans would increasingly turn against the United
States. He said the Afghans had no problem with the
Americans, but instead waged war against Karzai and the
traditional power brokers he represents. For example, he
said Fahimcannot travel to Panjshir, his home province,
without heavy security, because "his own people would kill
him." (Note: Bashardost travels in an un-armored Toyota
Corolla, without security guards. End Note.)

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Improve the Lives of Normal Afghans
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5. (C) Bashardost asserted that U.S. policy must focus on
improving the lives of "normal Afghans." He noted that
Karzai, like former U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, viewed

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the Afghan political scene through a tribal lens, which
limits democracy in Afghanistan. He noted that the Hazaras,
the Tajiks, the Uzbeks and the Pashtuns do not seek a
ministry, but rather, electricity, water, and food.
Bashardost argued that viewing the ministries as the
properties of particular ethnic blocks is wrong, commenting
that when he was Planning Minister he appointed deputy
ministers from every ethnicity, as well as females and males,
and received considerable Hazara blow-back for this move. He
said this vision is necessary to achieve long-term peace and
security in Afghanistan. His campaign and the 9 percent he
has received so far is proof that "average Afghans want
change and democracy," he said. Bashardost suggested that if
the United States rebuilt Afghanistan as it did post-WW II
Japan, it would gain an important long-term strategic partner.

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Focus on the Younger Generation
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6. (C) Bashardost underscored the need to empower the
younger generations to help Afghanistan move away from the
traditional power brokers and its historic ethnic battles.
In particular, it was important that this generation be
selected for key roles in the new government, and that the
United States should encourage them to run in the 2010
parliamentary elections. He emphasized that the younger,
highly-educated generation of Afghans is the key to
democratic development in Afghanistan. He shared his plans
to travel to the provinces to search for these future
politicians, and help them run in the upcoming parliamentary
elections. When the Ambassador asked if he intended to form
a political party, Bashardost replied that he would find
"another way," as political parties continue to have an
unfortunate tribal-related stigma in Afghanistan, and if he
formed a party, people would think of it as yet another
Hazara party.

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Give the Money to the Afghans
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7. (C) Bashardost noted that with the 31 billion USD of
assistance over the last seven years, the international
community could have re-built Afghanistan twice. He
expressed frustration with the international NGOs that "kept
their money in Switzerland." He said if the United States
and the international community could count on honest Afghan
ministries, Afghanistan could thrive. He commented before
the meeting formally started that "Karzai is the king of
corruption, and Abdullah is the queen."

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Do Something about Foreign Meddling
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8. (C) Bashardost proffered that while Afghanistan had
suffered from outside meddling from countries like Russia,
Iran and Pakistan, most Afghans still viewed the United
States as "their only hope." He said Iran had interfered
considerably in the Afghan election, and that America should
confront Iran, and the others, on their role in supporting
presidential candidates, as well as other meddling.
Bashardost asserted that Afghanistan should not allow Iran to
have an equal status with the United States, since U.S.
interests and the Afghan interests are the same, while Iran
has a different agenda. (Comment: This view is an anomaly
for a Hazara, a largely Shia group often closely affiliated
with Shia-dominated Iran. Bashardost's position shows his
willingness to stand up to even those within his ethnic power
base. End Comment.)

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Support the Elections Process
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9. (C) Bashardost claimed that both Karzai and Abdullah were
responsible for systematic fraud. On the elections results,
Bashardost implied that the IEC was under the influence of
Karzai. He insisted that both the international community
and the Afghan people must respect the elections process.
Bashardost added that the ECC leadership had told him they
had inadequate resources to travel to all of the provinces
where they should investigate alleged fraud. He suggested
that Obama should send Air Force One to help with a task of
such high priority for the United States. The Ambassador
concurred that the elections process must be respected,
informing Bashardost that we had that very morning provided
U.S. Mission Air support for the fraud investigators.

EIKENBERRY