INTERIOR MINISTER DETAILS SUB-NATIONAL GOVERNANCE IDEAS,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003876

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR AF
SUBJECT: INTERIOR MINISTER DETAILS SUB-NATIONAL GOVERNANCE IDEAS,
SEEKS U.S. PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR KARZAI'S ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS

Classified By: CDDEA: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne; reasons 1.4 b and d


1. (C) Summary: Minister of Interior Atmar welcomed intensified USG
focus on sub-national governance (SNG),calling it essential to the
survival of Afghanistan's central government. He criticized
international contractors for knowing little about the subject,
sub-national governance, and proposed the creation of a sub-national
version of the US police training command (Combined Security
Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A)) to help coordinate the
assistance of aid and services at the sub-national level. Atmar
called for a joint, system-wide audit and monitoring board involving
Afghans and donors, but said calling it an "anti-corruption
commission" would send the wrong message. The board should authorize
audits of any entity receiving public funds, including Afghan
Government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and contractors.
While supporting new anti-corruption efforts initiated by the
international community, Atmar asked U.S. officials to speak out
publicly when untrue corruption allegations are unfairly heaped on
President Karzai, the Ministry of Interior, or its minister. End
Summary.

Sub-National Governance: Develop People and Institutions
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2. (SBU) In a December 1 meeting with Coordinating Director for
Development and Economic Affairs Wayne, Interior Minister Atmar said
successful governance at the local level depends on support from
officials in Kabul. Local governments should develop their own
budgets and provide the bulk of public services to their
constituents. However, joint monitoring and auditing was necessary,
in partnership with the international community (IC),to "get mutual
suspicion out of the way," which he attributed to an international
view that the Afghan Government lacks interest in sub-national
governance, and an Afghan belief that the IC promotes federalism over
a more decentralized but still nationally-based systems.


3. (SBU) Atmar, who has a degree in public administration, said his
government needs to train 10,000 young people to serve as the next
generation of public servants. He lamented that the government did
not focus on educating talented youth abroad during the past eight
years. Through its provincial governors, the Afghan Government must
demonstrate its honesty and competence, adding that 60 percent of
provincial governors are considered satisfactory today, as opposed to
10 percent a year or so ago.


4. (SBU) While community development councils and provincial
governments are perceived to be legitimate, they need to be mobilized
and linked to the central government to unlock their power, Atmar
said. He envisioned a compact in which the federal government
provides security, combats narcotics, and provides political support.
In return, local governments are empowered to set development
priorities and combat corruption, while the IC would channel funding
to locally-led development.


5. (C) Ambassador Wayne said the USG wants to continue the District
Development Working Group program (DDWG),which currently extends to
six districts across Afghanistan. Atmar responded that the program
should comprise adjacent districts in the same province to lower the
risk of rivalry-based sabotage by neighboring villages. Commenting
that villagers do not understand the concept of a pilot program,
Atmar agreed that the pilot is also a test of how well Ministries
work together, and that it has exposed gaps in Ministerial knowledge
of provinces and districts.

Curb Contractor Power, Create a Sub-National CSTC-A
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6. (SBU) Atmar said the IC should cease financing international
contractors who "know nothing about sub-national governance." He
understood the necessity of contracting large firms for
infrastructure and development projects, but suggested they be rolled
into a new version of the police training command (Combined Security
Transition Command-Afghanistan CSTC-A) at the sub-national level that
would work directly with the Independent Directorate of Local
Governance (IDLG). A sub-national CSTC-A, he argued, could set
benchmarks for local governments and could help the IDLG implement
programs with assistance from current development contractors. This
would also facilitate a service delivery package at the provincial
level, to include public health, education, agriculture, microfinance
loans and infrastructure. Ambassador Wayne pointed out that the USG
is pushing international contractors to employ Afghan sub-contractors
and is using smaller, more flexible contracts to attract Afghan
firms.

Stand Up For Us on Corruption
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7. (C) Observing that MOI had recently taken on illegal provincial
road tolls and reduced them by 90 percent, Atmar noted that Nangahar
Governor Shirzai is still collecting tolls illegally and that
President Karzai has been slow to take action against him.

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Highlighting Shirzai's good relationship with local U.S. military
forces, he asked the USG to express "discreet concern" to Shirzai
about the tax collectors for the Shirzai Foundation. He said Shirzai
is not a bad person but is accustomed to operating as a sole
governmental authority.

Anti-Corruption Commission?
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8. (C) Responding to Ambassador Wayne's commendation of his
anti-corruption efforts, Atmar said he still wants a joint,
system-wide audit and monitoring board but is dismayed that it has
been termed a "commission," which sends the wrong message. The board
could commission audits of any entity receiving public funds,
including Afghan Government agencies, non-governmental organizations,
and contractors. He suggested the board focus on the judicial
system, police, provincial and district governments, the Ministry of
Finance (particularly the Customs and Revenue Departments) and
municipalities. These five entities comprise 80 percent of
nationwide corruption, he said, and could be cleaned up in one year,
if international auditors investigated them alongside Afghan
counterparts. Atmar added that this would send a strong message to
the American public and the U.S. Congress.


9. (C) Atmar asked for assistance in "depoliticizing" corruption,
which the media "unfairly blames directly on President Karzai."
Pointing out that Karzai had appointed good ministers as well as bad,
and that his anticorruption efforts sometimes conflict with his aims
to reconcile corrupt individuals, Atmar encouraged the USG to speak
out when news reports cite untrue information about corruption within
the government. In a recent incident, the British Government did not
correct an untrue story about what he deems an unlawful arrest by
British police on Afghan territory. He asked that the US be ready to
publicly vouch for the good work of the Ministry and its Minister.
Ambassador Wayne responded that the USG is prepared to express
confidence in its partners, but cannot comment on unfamiliar cases,
adding that he would use a public opening of a female police training
facility in Jalalabad on December 5 to publicly express support for
the MOI.

Comment
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10. (C) We agree with Atmar on the need for a focused effort on
getting governance out to the sub-national level. We will explore
Atmar's and others ideas for improving sub-national governance. In
addition, while we continue to look for opportunities to join forces
with partners, as we have in the District Delivery Working Group with
the British and Canadians, we are also setting up an enlarged
sub-national governance unit within the Embassy to enhance our
ability to work on this charter of issues.

MUSSOMELI