PRT DIWANIYAH: WILL THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000032 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2020 TAGS: PGOV ASEC ECON IZ SUBJECT: PRT DIWANIYAH: WILL THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL'S GRIDLOCK MEAN LESS TRAFFIC AT THE POLLS? REF: 09 BAGHDAD 2865 Classified By: Classified by: PRT Team Leader Michael Klecheski. Reas ons: 1.4 (B/D). ¶1. This is a PRT Diwaniyah reporting cable. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: Diwaniyah's security situation is generally stable. Despite this, economic lethargy and a widespread perception that provincial authorities have done little to spark development or improve essential services persist, leading to public disappointment with provincial and national governments. The Provincial Council has been locked in political gridlock, and many see Governor Salim Hussein Alwan (Da'wa) as ineffective and the Maliki government as inattentive to the province's needs. While this does not appear to signal a complete loss of confidence in local government, it has led to a malaise that could dampen the March election turnout and, in the longer term, could diminish support for democratic processes. Still, a stretch of political harmony and a few significant investments could quickly improve the public's mood towards government. Despite general public dissatisfaction, Provincial Council members and other local observers note tribal influence and affiliations will be critical in swaying voters in Diwaniyah. END SUMMARY. TROUBLED BY ECONOMIC WOES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (C) Diwaniyah's population generally sees economic problems and weak provision of essential services as their biggest concerns, rather than security (septel). A heavily agricultural province, Diwaniyah was hard-hit by the drought of the past several months, with many farmers unable to grow the rice that is a major crop here. The national government, as well as the U.S., drew much criticism for their perceived failure to get Turkey to provide more water. But the public also criticized the provincial government for not doing enough to mitigate the water crisis. Sheikh Nabeel Sakban, a leading tribal leader who is a strong Da'wa supporter, told PRToffs of his deep disappointment that the Governor had never visited his town to observe the water situation, much less tried to solve it. Sakban said that he would urge his tribe to support Da'wa but that his party's perceived disinterest made this task all the more difficult. ¶4. (C) The public also seems skeptical about provincial government claims of attracting major foreign investments. The Governor has used the media several times to report a steady flow of foreign companies visiting the province, expressing interest in projects, and sometimes even signing memoranda of understanding. Journalists have told us, however, that people are no longer satisfied to hear such news, and want to see investment projects get underway. Housing construction is brisk in the province's capital and other larger towns, but the public does not seem to sense a broader spark to the province's economy. ¶5. (C) The public also sees little progress on essential services. A call-in show on the province's leading radio station regularly features complaints from the public about the same shortcomings in provision of services, with potable water among the leading problems. Both the Governor and the GOI draw criticism for failing to improve essential services. While the public sees a few provincial Directors General (DGs) as competent, it views most as ineffective and corrupt, several provincial journalists have told us. A long delay in installing a new DG for Education after the previous one was fired did not help the government's image. The numerous Qwas fired did not help the government's image. The numerous complaints about the shortage and poor condition of the province's educational infrastructure exacerbated the situation. (COMMENT: A new DG for Education was appointed recently, but judging by PRT's initial meetings with him, he seems cut from the same cloth as his predecessor. He has focused on school construction, rather than on issues that have been identified as priority concerns in Diwaniyah, such as the quality of teachers and the teaching tools available to them. END COMMENT.) PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT INFIGHTING - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (C) Months of political infighting within the PC have both limited that body's ability to work and weakened its image (reftel). The infighting resulted from political maneuvering ahead of the national elections, as well as from several PC members' weak qualifications to chair key committees. The Chair of the Energy Committee, for instance, was almost ousted for having absolutely no understanding of electricity issues. The PC's two Sadrist Trend members, PC Vice Chair Faras Wanas and PC Security Committee Chair Kareem Zugair, are alleged by PC members and other sources to have used their positions to help insurgents travel through and operate in the province with relative impunity. Though the public is unhappy with the PC's overall stalemate and ineffectiveness, these Sadrists' activities seem to be a particular sore point with many locals, according to a number of journalists and two PC members with whom we spoke recently. ¶7. (C) In the latest effort to break the impasse, the PC agreed to reorganize its committee structure to expand the number of leadership positions, allowing 26 of the PC 's 28 members to serve either as PC Deputy Chair or as heads of committees. But many previous chairmen, including the widely scorned Energy Committee Chair mentioned above, have retained their positions, casting doubt on claims that the restructuring led to an improvement in the committees. Despite the splitting of the Security Committee, the Sadrists retain their influence on security issues. PC Chair Jubair Salman Awfi (State of Law ) Independent) told PRToffs the restructuring would get the Council back on track. Another PC member opined that the move would not really improve the functioning of committees or do much to repair the PC's public image. PARTIES WORRY ABOUT AN ANTI-INCUMBENCY TREND, SEEK FRESH CANDIDATES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶8. (C) The provincial government's troubles could dent the reputations of all the parties that joined in the PC's ruling coalition when it was formed in March. Among the parties represented, only the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) did not join that coalition, and it has been presenting itself as not responsible for the PC's shortcomings to score political points ahead of the upcoming national elections. ¶9. (C) Da'wa came out on top in Diwaniyah in the 2009 provincial elections, but its image has suffered since then. While expressing optimism for his party's chances in Diwaniyah, the local Da'wa party leader, PC member Fathil Mawat, told us that several of its candidates were not tied to the provincial administration. Instead of politicians, he noted, the party had focused on distinguished local figures, including academics, as its candidates in the province. Fathil also emphasized the importance of having strong support from tribal leaders, and noted that he had just chaired a conference of tribal figures in the province to reinforce Da'wa's strength. As noted above, at least one of those figures, Sakban, is sticking with Da'wa but has told us that he is worried about its prospects. But tribal leaders affiliated with other election coalitions have noted to us that they have extensive influence as well; Afak's mayor, one of the leaders of that region's Rhanim tribe, told us he would sway many of its members to vote for the Iraqi National Movement with which he is allied. ¶10. (C) Asked about overall attitudes toward the upcoming elections, PC member Dakhil noted that, given the way things are going politically and economically in the province, people are cynical about the electoral process. Nonetheless, he predicted a high turnout, citing three reasons. First, the large number of candidates representing tribes will elicit a strong rural turnout. Second, religious leaders will encourage people to vote, leading to strong turnouts in urban areas. Finally, the elections will be hard-fought, sparking popular interest and thus a heightened turnout. COMMENT - - - - - - - - - - ¶11. (C) Aside from its possible short term implications for the national elections, the widespread perception of government incompetence could have a longer-term impact on Qgovernment incompetence could have a longer-term impact on how the public views democratic processes. ISCI, which had previously controlled the provincial government, did not perform well in the 2009 provincial elections in large part because it was perceived as having governed ineffectively. Thus, hopes ran high that, after ISCI was "punished" electorally for its weak governance, the new Da'wa-led coalition would perform better. The fact that the Da'wa-led provincial administration is generally perceived as having failed to do so could shake some of the hopes that elections result in better and more honest governance. Nonetheless, we believe that Diwaniyah's public, cognizant of the political violence that raged in the province just a few years earlier, prefers the current stable situation. Beyond that, a stretch of political harmony coupled with a few major new investments or other boosts to the economy would likely improve the public's mood toward not just the government but democratic processes. FORD