PRT MUTHANNA: A "SNEAK PREVIEW" OF MUTHANNA'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000363

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2020
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: PRT MUTHANNA: A "SNEAK PREVIEW" OF MUTHANNA'S
CANDIDATE LIST

REF: A. 09 BAGHDAD 2391

B. 09 BAGHDAD 2001

C. 10 BAGHDAD 270

D. 09 BAGHDAD 1203

E. 10 BAGHDAD 167

Classified By: PRT Team Leader John Kuschner for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
)


1. (U) This is a PRT Muthanna reporting cable.


2. (SBU) There are 171 names on 16 different lists competing
for 7 CoR seats from Muthanna province. Six candidates have
been excluded. Five additional candidates appealed their
exclusion and are waiting for a final decision on their
eligibility.
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL MEMBERS RUNNING FOR NATIONAL OFFICE
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

3. (C) Ten members of the Provincial Council are running on
three lists, the ISCI/Sadrist Trend-led Iraqi National
Alliance (INA) (4),PM Maliki,s State of Law Alliance (SLA)
(2),and the cross-sectarian Coalition of Iraq,s Unity (CIU)
(4). Of the ten, only four are running on the coalition list
that elected them in January 2009 (three candidates for INA
and one for State of Law). Council member and former
Governor Ahmed Marzouk (Ref A) has placed his Al Jumhoor
party (previously aligned with ISCI) in the CIU camp.
Main Parties at a Glance
- - - - - - - - - - - -

4. (C) SLA: The list is led by Adnan Hadi Noor Ali Saeed, a
senior deputy in the Ministry of Interior and a member of
Maliki,s Da,wa party. PRT local staff members have heard
Reports that Saeed is offering police positions if elected.
Sheikh Najih Kamil Ghiteeth, the main sheikh of the Shi'a Al
Thawalim tribe, is a notable SLA candidate.

5. (C) INA: The list is headed by Khalid Naim Khashman
Abdallah, a Sadrist Trend member and attorney who is well
known for acting as defense council for Jaish al Mahdi (JAM)
militia members arrested in Muthanna. The Sadrists have
taken a cautious approach, putting only two members on the
list to prevent vote splitting that could cost them a seat on
March 7. There are four members of the PC on the list; two
ISCI, one Badr and one from former PM Ibrahim Jaafari,s
National Reform Trend (NRT). There are two other notables on
the list:Hakim Khazal Khashan Jazi, a former member of the
PC, and self-designated leader in the fight against
corruption(refs B and C),and Sheikh Raysan Mutashar Fahad
Jiheel of the Al Zayadi tribe.

6. (C) CIU: The list is dominated by former Governor and
current PC member Ahmed Marzouk. Marzouk is well known to
the PRT as a political kingmaker, but does not have a
reputation as an honest broker. His political fortunes have
ebbed and flowed since cobbling together a coalition that
broke a PC deadlock in April 2009 over who would be Governor
of the Province (ref C). Marzouk enjoys strong support from
the Albu Hassan tribe led by Sheikh Abu Chaffat (Ref D).
Excluded
- - - -

7. (SBU) Six candidates have been included in the AJC
de-Ba,athification list and have not appealed. Most notable
among them is Mujnim Jabbar Manshad Hussein from the 20th
Revolution Bloc. He is the province,s head of the ISNAD
tribal support council. There are two excluded candidates
from the Al Iraqiya list, and one each from the Kurdistan
Coalition, Rightness Propagandists' Gathering and the
Movement of Patriotic and National Blocs.

8. (C) Comment: The PRT does not see any real surprises on
the lists, makeup. With the exception of a few ideologues,
it reflects opportunistic political elites that are the norm
in Muthanna. End Comment.
HILL