Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KABUL3095
2009-10-04 14:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kabul
Cable title:  

POLITICAL RALLY STYMIED BY KARZAI

Tags:  PGOV PREL AF 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1142
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #3095 2771425
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 041425Z OCT 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1827
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 003095 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: POLITICAL RALLY STYMIED BY KARZAI

Classified By: PolCouns Annie Pforzheimer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 003095

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: POLITICAL RALLY STYMIED BY KARZAI

Classified By: PolCouns Annie Pforzheimer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary: A 250-participant political rally to call
for an interim government not led by Karzai was likely
stymied by the Presidential Palace on October 1. The Afghan
National Police (ANP) blocked the event for about two hours.
Presidential palace interference seems further confirmed by
the complete lack of media coverage of the event, despite
attempts made by a handful of somewhat influential MPs to
draw the media's attention. MP Mohammad Dawood Sultanzoy
(Pashtun, Ghazni),one of the supporters of the rally, told
us the night before the event, palace supporters called rally
participants and warned them to stay away--he claimed that
was why 250 instead of 500 participants attended. End
Summary.

--------------
Call for an Interim Government
--------------


2. (C) The key organizer of the event was the self-claimed
Bonn Agreement architect and designer Wahid Waheedullah,
listed in rally documents as a UN Civil Affairs employee in
New York. With a keen eye for marketing this event to the
internationals, a 6-page color pamphlet written in English
described his views on forming an interim government by
holding a "Transitional Loya Jirga," followed later by new
elections. He advocates for a change to the parliamentary
system. He said this was the only way to obtain a legitimate
government in Afghanistan after the flawed presidential
elections. The leader of such an interim government would
not be President Karzai. The group called this Loya Jirga
the "Grand Jirga for Peace and Reconstruction in
Afghanistan."


3. (SBU) The most notable guests at the event beyond
Waheedullah were presidential candidate Shala Atta (Kabul,
Pashtun),MP Mohammad Dawood Sultanzoy (Pashtun, Ghazni),
Engineer Mohammad Asim (Tajik, Baghlan),and MP Sayed Ishaq
Gailani (Pashtun, Paktika). Several of these individuals
used to be staunch supporters of Karzai, but over the last
five years, have made a political shift away from Karzai,
accusing him of "a corrupt, ineffective government."

--------------
Rally Disrupted, Delayed
--------------


4. (C) According to an Embassy Local National who attended
the event, while the rally invitees were arriving, the ANP
started to block the entrance, saying the rally "was not
allowed." The scene grew tense as more guests arrived, and
the Intercontinental security forces got involved, while the
ANP called for back-up. Journalists and media arrived on the
scene, and eventually, the crowd heard that "the presidential
palace has decided to allow the meeting." Due to the initial
scuffling with the ANP, the event was delayed by several
hours. MP Sultanzoy told us that the night before the event,
palace supporters called rally participants and warned them
to not attend--he claimed that was why 250 instead of 500
participants attended the event.

--------------
No Press Coverage
--------------


5. (C) MP Ishaq Gailani told us a second Karzai government
would never be more than a "corrupt, inept, and illegitimate
administration." (Note: Ishaq Gailani stopped his steadfast
allegiance to Karzai when he was not named the foreign
minister, as was promised to him by Karzai in 2004. He
remains somewhat estranged from the Pier Gailani side of the
family, although some interlocutors suspect the Gailani's
want to keep a hand in all ends of the political spectrum.
End note.) MP Sultanzoy said the lack of press coverage was
"proof that the Presidential Palace intervened." Although
the Embassy staff member at the event saw media at the rally,
recording the scuffle with ANP, the Embassy press section
found no coverage of the rally.
EIKENBERRY