MELBOURNE BASED AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000056

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/A TOM REOTT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF AS
SUBJECT: MELBOURNE BASED AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ON
HIS POLICY PLATFORM

REF: CANBERRA 278

Classified By: Justin Kolbeck, Pol/Econ Officer for reasons 1.4(b)(d)

Summary
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1. (C) Abdul Khaliq Fazal, former Afghan Minister for Public
Works (2001-2004) and declared presidential candidate in the
August election, shared his initial policy platform with
Consul General on April 27. If elected, Fazal says he will
strengthen political parties and introduce a Prime Minister
in order to give minority tribes a voice in government. He
said he will work to remove Mujahadeen-era intelligence
officers from senior posts in Afghanistan and will adopt a
"tough stance" vis-a-vis Iran. Fazal, who has lived in
Melbourne for the better part of thirty years, will return to
Afghanistan to campaign on May 1. This cable includes
highlights of Fazal's platform; the full version of his
"policy agenda" has been sent to the Afghanistan desk. End
Summary.

Campaign Underway
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2. (C) Abdul Khaliq Fazal, a Melbourne-based businessman and
declared candidate for the Afghan presidential election,
briefed Consul General on his campaign plans and future
platform. Fazal, whose heart condition (NFI) had prevented
him from returning to Afghanistan sooner, intends to travel
to Kabul on May 1 to begin campaigning. He noted, however,
that he will wait until the official commencement of campaign
activities on June 18 before he begins his efforts in
earnest. Ray Stuart, one of Fazal's Australian campaign
managers who accompanied him to the meeting, admitted that
they are off to a late start, but claimed that the other
candidates are also "scrambling" and that if President Karzai
does not stand for reelection, the "field will be open."


3. (C) Fazal said he enjoys strong support among overseas
Afghans in Australia and in Dubai. Despite having served as
Minister of Public Works from 2001-2004 in the Afghan Interim
Government, Fazal said he has clashed with President Karzai
over "corruption among current Ministers and Governors."
Karzai, he continued, is under too much pressure from
warlords and drug dealers, however, to act. He told Consul
General in confidence that President Karzai's term in office
"had been wasted" due to too many opportunities lost. Fazal
believes his support base in his home province of Kandahar is
still strong despite his having lived in Australia for the
better part of the last thirty years. He will represent the
Initiative for National Unity Party of Afghanistan and said
that he has over 640 registered campaign workers throughout
the country's 34 provinces.

Pakistan
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4. (C) Responding to Consul General's query about his views
on Pakistan, Fazal said ties forged in the 1980's between
intelligence officials on both sides of the Durand Line
remain strong and are at the center of problems in the
Northwest Frontier Province and the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas. If elected President, Fazal said he would push
to remove this generation of intelligence officials from
senior positions in Afghanistan and would lobby Pakistan to
do the same. Echoing an oft-heard refrain, Fazal remarked
that "Pakistan's government, whether the civilian leadership
knows it or not, is providing support to the Taliban and
al-Qaeda."

Iran
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5. (C) Fazal explained his position on Iran by way of the
following anecdote. While serving as Minister for Public
Works, he discovered that an Iranian government-sponsored
construction company was building a road linking Herat with
Iran. According to Fazal, Herat's Governor had approved the
road project without first notifying him. Fazal said he
"strongly reprimanded" Iran's Ambassador and "kicked the
workers out of Afghanistan." While the road was eventually
completed during Fazal's tenure, he said that Iran is
"religiously and culturally interfering in Afghanistan" and
should "be dealt with firmly."

Reconciliation

MELBOURNE 00000056 002 OF 002


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6. (C) Given Afghanistan's multi-tribal composition, Fazal
proposes to introduce a Prime Minister via Constitutional
amendment which would enable minority tribes (non-Pashtuns)
to have a voice in national leadership. He claimed that the
current system gives the President too much power due to the
ability to appoint Governors and one third of the country's
Senators. Overcoming Afghanistan's long struggle with
reconciliation, Fazal believes, will be directly tied to
giving minority groups a definitive say in governance.
(Note: Fazal is a Pashtun himself and says he was childhood
friends with President Karzai, and a former royalist. End
note.)

Comment
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7. (C) While his policy platform highlights the need for
Afghanistan to remain "neutral," Fazal did note that "without
the support of the United States, Afghanistan will never
stand on its own." His six-page policy outline is broad and
his campaign is still in the very early stages, but Fazal
appeared committed to making a genuine run at the presidency.
Although he has spent the majority of the last three decades
residing in Australia, Fazal was confident that his political
support in Afghanistan remains robust.

THURSTON