MP RANJBAR ON PRESIDENTIAL CONTINUITY

UNCLAS KABUL 000521

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV AF
SUBJECT: MP RANJBAR ON PRESIDENTIAL CONTINUITY


1. (SBU) Lower House MP Kabir Ranjbar (Kabul, Pashtun),one
of the few professional lawyers in Parliament, told the
Charge on 3/7 he believes Parliament can work with President
Karzai to find a legal solution to the post-5/22 executive
authority issue that both protects the 8/20 election date and
maintains Karzai's status as president during the interim
period between the constitutional expiration of Karzai's term
and the inauguration of the next president. Ranjbar asserted
that a state of emergency, as defined in Article 143 of the
Constitution, will provide sufficient legal cover to extend
the president's authority after 5/22 and avoid
extra-constitutional proposals for a caretaker government or
Loya Jirga. He believed Afghans would tolerate limitations
on personal freedoms for a short time in exchange for the
stability of a Karzai-led government through the elections.


2. (SBU) Ranjbar said pro-democracy MPs wanted to avoid
extra-legal options and respect the Constitution, which left
a state of emergency as their only choice. Upper House
Speaker Mojaddedi had very little support among other MPs to
serve as a caretaker leader, while a traditional Loya Jirga
would empower unelected mujahideen over the institution of
Parliament. Ranjbar believed the 90-plus "democratic" MPs in
the Lower House would be able to work with independents and
pass a state of emergency resolution, even if Speaker Qanooni
and the 60-70 MPs loyal to his United Front coalition tried
to block it. If Karzai committed himself
to working with MPs on a state of emergency resolution,
Ranjbar predicted the Palace and Parliament could reach an
agreement by the end of March.


3. (SBU) The Charge told Ranjbar the U.S. welcomed support
for the 8/20 election date and believes Karzai should remain
president during the interim period to maintain a stronger
central government that is better capable of resisting
increased Taliban attacks over the summer month. Ranjbar
told the Charge he did not support Karzai's re-election, but
agreed the country would be best served by a stable
government led by the incumbent over the summer. He said it
was in Parliament's best interests to act in coordination
with the president, lest Karzai turn to an extra-legal option
that would subvert the role of Parliament.
DELL