UNITED FRONT: KARZAI MUST STEP DOWN AFTER MAY 22

UNCLAS KABUL 000400

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV AF
SUBJECT: UNITED FRONT: KARZAI MUST STEP DOWN AFTER MAY 22


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. United Front (UF) spokesman Sayed
Sancharaki said President Karzai must step down after the
5/22 expiration of his term, but promised UF leaders will
temper their public comments so as not to destabilize the
country.

Hard Line, But Tempered Tone
--------------


2. (SBU) In a 2/23 conversation with PolOff, Sancharaki said
the UF remained adamant in its belief that Karzai could not
be trusted to remain in office in the lead up to the
election. However, the UF recognized the importance of
protecting the 8/20 election date and not throwing the
government into chaos during the peak fighting season in the
summer. Pushing Karzai too hard on presidential continuity
may lead the president to call earlier elections or use a
Loya Jirga to form the next government, two options UF
leaders know favor Karzai.


3. (SBU) Sancharaki agreed that a resolution of the
executive authority issue required Afghan political leaders
to work together to find a consensus political solution.
PolOff explained that the U.S. advocated no specific outcome,
but insisted the eventual solution preserve the 8/20
election, maintain a strong government during the peak
fighting season, and support the authority and goals of the
Constitution. Those who resisted a sensible solution to the
problem could face repercussions from voters in the election
or in their future relations with the United States. "We
will have a united effort to solve the problem," Sancharaki
agreed. "We don't want individuals' selfish actions to
strengthen the Taliban."


4. (SBU) UF leaders have proposed to other political
leaders that Parliament and the Supreme Court jointly govern
the country from 5/22 until the inauguration. Deputy
ministers and selected holdovers from the current Cabinet
would head the ministries during this interim period. POLOFF
stressed the importance of including Karzai in any
negotiations over the future of executive authority.


5. (SBU) Sancharaki said UF leaders had nearly reached an
agreement with Karzai on a unity government six weeks ago.
The UF dropped the initiative when it began to suspect Karzai
was using the talks to fracture his opposition and not to
heal the country's divisions. Since then, the UF has focused
its efforts on uniting other opposition parties. Like most
other parties, the UF would accept Karzai staying in office
after 5/22 only if he did not stand for re-election.
Sancharaki admitted this position signaled the real issue for
Karzai's opponents was not constitutional, but preventing
Karzai from using government agencies to aid his campaign.


6. (SBU) Sancharaki recognized the UF should encourage a
reasoned discussion of the various proposals for presidential
continuity. Heated dialogue would poison the political
atmosphere and could dissuade some groups from joining a
consensus. During the Lower House of Parliament's debate on
the issue that same day, UF member and Lower House Speaker
Yunus Qanooni advised other MPs to stop repeating statements
to the media calling into question Karzai's legitimacy.
Everyone's positions have been clear for some time and it was
now time to find solutions, Qanooni said.
DELL