KHOST: DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR SHUFFLE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000811

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM
STATE PASS USAID FOR ASIA/SCAA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID AF
SUBJECT: KHOST: DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR SHUFFLE

Classified By: PRT and Sub-National Governance Director Valerie C. Fowl
er for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. Khost Governor Hamidullah Qalandarzai
announced the swap of district administrators in several
districts the week of March 23. Qalandarzai indicated
shortly after his January arrival in Khost that he would
spend some time assessing the district administrators in
Khost before making any changes. Following a meeting with
PRT and maneuver battalion representatives on March 22 during
which concerns about vacancies and poor performance of some
administrators were discussed, Qalandarzai appears to have
been spurred into action. Rather than opt for bold change,
the governor did not appoint any new actors, but merely
reshuffled the deck.

Bak and Dwamanda Districts Swap Administrators
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2. (C) On March 23, Governor Qalandarzai called in several
district administrators to announce changes in provincial
administration. Said Ahmad Khan, the current district
administrator in Bak district, will be reassigned to
Dwamanda/Shamal district while Dwamanda District
Administrator Latifullah (Babaker Khel) will assume duties as
district administrator in his native Bak District. (Comment:
The PRT views this reassignment positively. We expect Khan,
known as a relatively capable administrator, can engage with
local elders to resolve an on-going land dispute so that the
PRT may proceed with rebuilding the Dwamanda District Center
that was destroyed by an SVBIED in November 2008.)
Latifullah, the brother of Khost Member of Parliament (MP)
Liaqatullah (Babaker Khel),was frequently absent from
Dwamanda, generally ineffective, and of questionable
allegiance to the government. We raised these concerns with
the governor, who noted that Latifullah,s brother,s
position as MP would make dismissing him difficult.

Troubled Sebari District Gets Unwilling Administrator
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3. (C) The problematic and allegedly corrupt Sebari district
administrator, Gul Qasim, has been named to the vacant Nader
Shah Kot position. Nader Shah Kot has been vacant since
February 14, following the death of Badi Zaman who was killed
(reportedly by family rivals) when his vehicle struck an IED
traveling from his home in Sebari to Khost City for a
liberation day celebration. Prior to his assignment in
Sebari, Gul Qasim served as district administrator in Nader
Shah Kot; he is known in the district and reportedly not
fondly remembered. (Comment: The PRT has on-going concerns
about his allegiance to GIRoA and his reputation for
corruption.)


4. (C) Haji Daulat Khan, the current district administrator
of stable Mandozai District, has been named to the same post
in Sebari. Haji Daulat reportedly "rejected" the
appointment, but Qalandarzai told him he is a smart leader
and Qalandarzai needs him to meet with the Sebari elders and
work on resolving issues in the volatile district. Haji
Daulat asked the commander of the maneuver battalion, TF
Steel, to intervene with the governor to get the reassignment
cancelled; TF Steel declined, noting that the decision was
the governor's to make.


5. (C) Haji Daulat has had good relations with the elders in
Mandozai, and may make some headway in Sebari; however, he
also has a well-earned reputation for corruption. He has a
degree in engineering and owns a contracting company that has
won contracts for PRT projects in the past. The poor quality
of his work and obvious efforts to cut corners to increase
his profit margin led to the decision of the PRT to blacklist
his company from any future projects. His allegiance to the
Afghan government, however, is strong.


6. (U) Governor Qalandarzai has not yet announced a
replacement for the Mandozai sub-governorship, which now is
the only district without an administrator in Khost Province.
Mandozai District Center was hit by an SVBIED in late
December 2008 that killed 14 third-graders, among other
victims.

A One-for-One Swap in Tani and Gorbuz
--------------


7. (C) On March 25, the governor announced an additional
change, reassigning Tani district administrator Hakim Wali to
Gorbuz district, and sending Gorbuz district administrator,
Mohammad Akbar, to Tani. Hakim Wali was the only district
administrator native to his district in Khost and has enjoyed

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good relations with tribal elders. Governor Qalandarzai has
told us on more than one occasion that he did not like a
district administrator to be from the dominant tribe in the
district he administers, as was the case with Hakim Wali in
Tani, for fear that he may encounter conflicts of interest.
(We note that the governor overcame his scruples by assigning
Latifullah (Babaker Khel) to his native Bak district.) We
stressed that Hakim Wali was one of the more capable and
effective district administrators in Khost. Qalandarzai
rejoined that Hakim Wali &is not a strong leader and must be
moved.8 We do not share the governor,s opinion of Hakim
Wali,s leadership abilities, but expect he will prove
effective in Gorbuz in time.

Comment
--------------


8. (C) While we consider some of Qalandarzai,s assignments
favorably and others less so, we are encouraged to see him
engaging in the business of running Khost Province following
his recent prolonged absence from the province. However,
Qalandarzai missed an opportunity to make a decisive change
in provincial governance by opting to reassign, rather than
dismiss, ineffective district administrators such as Gul
Qasim and Latifullah (Babaker Khel). Shuffling district
officials, some of whom have built constructive relationships
with community leaders, as the fighting season in Khost
swings into full gear is a risky move. It remains to be seen
if his actions will enable him to build a team that allows
him to put a positive mark on Khost governance.
Additionally, it is not clear whether the Independent
Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG),which is responsible
for selecting and transferring district administrators,
approved or was aware of the Governor,s reassignment of
district administrators.


9. (U) This cable has been reviewed by PRT Khost Acting
Commanding Officer LTC Pablo Manzo, TF Steel Commander LTC
Stephen Smith, and TF Yukon Regional Advisor Kelly Degnan.
WOOD