KARZAI CONFIDENT, CONCILIATORY AT SEPTEMBER 17

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 002835

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM AF
SUBJECT: KARZAI CONFIDENT, CONCILIATORY AT SEPTEMBER 17
PRESS CONFERENCE ON PROVISIONAL ELECTION RESULTS

Classified By: Classified by Deputy Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone f
or Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: President Karzai appears to be feeling
confident enough about his prospects for re-election that in
his September 17 media appearance he set aside his recent
bitter edge in comments about the United States. Though he
continued to blame the international media for exaggerating
reports of electoral fraud, his public comments included
positive references to the importance of Afghanistan's
strategic relationship with the United States and his
personal responsibility to abide by decisions of the
Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC). End Summary.


2. (C) In an interview on September 16 with the
privately-owned channel Arzu TV (affiliated with Voice of
America),Afghan Information and Culture Minister Abdul Karim
Khorram had accused governments of Western countries
generally, and AMERICA specifically, of interfering in
Afghanistan's internal affairs. He claimed that the United
States and the West intend to change the Afghan election
results according to our preference and that we have been
interfering since the very beginning of the election process.
Khorram is known for making inflammatory statements and for
his anti-Western stance.


3. (C) On September 17, President Hamid Karzai moved his
planned evening press conference to 10:30 a.m. His Chief of
Staff, Mohammad Daudzai, told us that Karzai did this
deliberately to allow a quicker riposte to the statements of
his Minister. In his press conference, President Karzai
struck an unusually conciliatory tone. When queried about
current relations with the West, Karzai specified AMERICA in
his remarks, stating "relations worsened on some issues, but
we have a strategic relationship with AMERICA and I and
others have a responsibility to continue it. If I become the
next president I will...always work to make the relationship
with the United States better."


4. (SBU) When asked about his views on the ECC supposedly
'having declared most of his votes invalid,' (Note: This was
possibly a reference to the EU Observer Mission's September
16 press conference, or an allusion to the ECC-mandated
audit/recount. End Note.) Karzai responded "The ECC has
total authority to invalidate or validate my votes." The
Embassy has been pushing Karzai to make a public statement
not only in support of the Independent Elections Commission
(IEC),but also the ECC, following the letter of the
electoral process. In recent weeks, Karzai has praised the
IEC, all of whose Commissioners are Afghans appointed by him.
He has simultaneously either criticized or ignored the ECC,
headed by three Westerners among a five-person commission.
The September 17 statement was by far the strongest statement
of support for the ECC Karzai has ever made. Still, Karzai
equivocated by answering another question with "I do not
believe that massive fraud has taken place, and where fraud
did take place, there must be a criminal investigation, and
as President, I have a responsibility to act accordingly.
However, I do not think there is as much fraud as the foreign
media says there is."


5. (C) Comment: President Karzai is magnanimous when he
feels confident and defensive when he feels cornered. Thus
far in the elections cycle, his emotions have been very much
on display. This sudden display of confident good feelings
toward the United States and the ECC suggests that Karzai
feels he will win in the first round; other reporting
suggests he has detected new U.S. support for such an
outcome. End Comment.
EIKENBERRY