IDLG LEADS SUB-NATIONAL GOVERNANCE STRATEGY; WILL GET ITS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000189 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM, INR/B STATE PASS USAID FOR ASIA/SCAA USFOR-A FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2019 TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL MOPS UK AF SUBJECT: IDLG LEADS SUB-NATIONAL GOVERNANCE STRATEGY; WILL GET ITS FIRST TEST IN HELMAND REF: (A) KABUL 0115, (B) 09 KABUL 4187, (C) 09 KABUL 3894, (D) 09 KABUL 3286, (E) 09 KABUL 2940, (F) 08 KABUL 3030 Classified By: CDDEA Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Director General of the Independent Directorate for Local Governance (IDLG) Jelani Popal is spear-heading the Afghan Government's renewed sub-national governance efforts, with the first test of this initiative to come in Helmand's Nad-Ali District in February. The new sub-national governance policy is not likely to be approved until the new Cabinet is confirmed, but Popal noted to us that President Karzai has promised the policy will be on the agenda of the first meeting of his new Cabinet. Popal emphasized the importance of recruiting qualified provincial and district governors, and rewarding those with good performance records. His serious approach could make the difference in Karzai's second term in bringing about tangible improvements in local governance. End Summary. Kabul Efforts to Devolve Authorities -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During a dinner on January 12 hosted by UK Ambassador Sedwill, Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs (CDDEA) Ambassador Wayne, IJC LTG Rodriguez and others discussed with IDLG Director General, Jelani Popal, and Acting Minister of Rural Reconstruction and Development (MRRD),Wais Ahmad Barmak, actions underway to adopt a new sub-national governance policy and to strengthen the quality of GIRoA governance at the provincial and district levels. The pending sub-national governance policy, which enhances the authorities and budgetary responsibility of provincial governors, is unlikely to be approved prior to the adoption of a new cabinet, Popal told Ambassador Wayne privately (FYI: He said the same thing to Ambassador Holbrooke during a January 17 meeting in Kabul. End FYI) President Karzai has agreed to consider the policy at the first full cabinet meeting, Popal said. This is not a guarantee of success: the policy has been ready for cabinet approval for nearly five months. ¶3. (C) The then-MRRD Acting Minister Barmak said that he hopes the IDLG and MRRD can work in synergy to improve sub-national governance. The MRRD should give governance functions to the IDLG and focus on development, he said. To be effective, the MRRD and the IDLG will use both district development assemblies and community development councils where they exist, he said. Popal agreed that all legitimate local councils need to be involved in the development of district governance and delivery of basic services. Mansoori added that line ministries need to be present and coordinating at the district level, through a simplified bureaucracy with a particular emphasis on ensuring that funds and resources are pushed out quickly, but also with an eye to ensuring these monies do not go to local spoilers via contracts. Merit-Based Appointments -------------- ¶4. (C) Popal emphasized the IDLG's focus on placing strong provincial and district level officials if the planning is to succeed. He highlighted the IDLG's existing criteria for selection of governors: loyal to the constitution, good management skills, ability to get along with people, ability to work with international partners, and no ties to criminals or insurgents. Popal pointed to fourteen governors who need to be removed, including in the following eleven provinces: Badakhshan, Baghlan, Ghazni, Kandahar, Khost, Panjshir (who he described as tired),Paktika, Nangahar (if possible), Samangan, Zabul, and Uruzgan. Additionally, the participants agreed that powerbrokers in provinces such as Kandahar need to be dealt with or it will be a waste of time to put a new governor in place. To support good governors, Popal said he favors the creation of a governor's "Good Performers Fund" and hopes a similar fund may be established for district governors. (FYI: A Performance-Based Governors Fund, supported by USAID and other donors, is scheduled to be launched this week. END FYI) Helmand as Test Case -------------- ¶5. (SBU) With the Marjah operations set to begin in mid-February (Reftel B) and the first wave of U.S. troops deploying to Helmand Province this spring, Popal and the participants agreed that Helmand will be the first test for promoting improved sub-national governance, particularly at the district level. Popal has personally invested his time and energy in developing a workable plan in Helmand; he travelled to Lashkar Gah on December 30 for two weeks in advance of the January visit by President Karzai (Reftel A),and engaged positively with Governor Mangal with an emphasis on KABUL 00000189 002 OF 002 devolution of finances and decision-making, acceleration of civil service pay reform and a sharpening of District Delivery Programs (DDP) in Helmand. ¶6. (C) Further highlighting his own sense of the importance of "getting it right in Helmand as a first step," Popal told the dinner participants that he is drafting a presidential decree focused on Helmand for Karzai to sign that would give the IDLG more power to coordinate with other ministries for delivery of services and give the Governor more specific authorities for hiring and firing. Additionally, Popal said that he is pressing key ministries to send technical staff to Lashkar Gah for three months to help out the line directors during the upcoming intense period of operation. ¶7. (C) Popal praised the efforts of Governor Mangal, who has been a good partner in the IDLG's efforts to deploy a stronger GIRoA presence in Helmand. He said that there are at least three minor war lords in Helmand who control parts of the official apparatus there and create real problems for the expansion of governance and development. They need to be dealth with. Additionally, Popal has asked Minister of Interior Atmar to replace six local police chiefs; for example, the police chief in Garmsir is heavily involved in drug trafficking but has a "guardian angel" in Kabul (an MP),he said. He also indicated that he is working to get more judges to Helmand. Popal emphasized the "desperate need" for local reintegration policies and mechanisms to complement the efforts to expand GIRoA's role in areas previously controlled by insurgents. While low level reintegration is happening across Helmand, more formal efforts via shuras and district leaders will not be launched until a formal GIRoA plan is adopted in Kabul (Ref C). Popal repeatedly expressed thanks to the IJC for support and to USAID for financing it is providing for the District Development Program and the Civil Service Commission to train new civil servants. Civil Service Training to Help Provinces -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The IDLG is focused on developing a strong cadre of GIRoA civil servants at the provincial and district levels in support of the sub-governance strategy. Popal told Ambassador Eikenberry on January 14 that the Civil Service Training Institute will send personnel, along with key line ministry officials, to Lashkar Gah to train new recruits. Popal added that he believes the funds are available for this effort, but this needs to be explored further. The Ministry of Finance is prepared to support a mechanism, still to be worked out, which will permit donors to provide money to an ear-marked portion of the central budget for recruiting, training, and sustainment costs, he said. This payment system, which is being worked out through the District Delivery Working Group (DDWG),must be flexible and responsive, Popal emphasized. Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) The push into the ungoverned area of Marjah in Nad-Ali District in mid-February will be the first test of GIRoA's ability, with support from coalition partners, to deliver basic services through the District Delivery Program (DDP). On the U.S. side, the Civilian Platform in Regional Command-South, working with the UK-led PRT, has staffing plans ready to be implemented to ensure that the right U.S. civilians quickly move in behind the Marines to support the "hold" and "build" phases, and work with Helmand Governor Mangal, the district governor and GIRoA to facilitate the insertion of key line ministries and basic services to Nad-Ali District following the operation. We will try to support district teams in other Helmand districts (e.g., Nawa and Garmser) to have a good cluster effect on local governance. ¶10. (C) Popal's leadership in developing the DDP and his grasp of the significance of the Helmand operations to the overall sub-national strategy is a good sign of GIRoA's serious efforts to seize the initiative provided by the increase of U.S. troops during the next 18 months. Popal's ability to work constructively with other key ministers, like MOI Minister Atmar and MOD Minister Wardak, will be essential to his receiving the necessary support from President Karzai. Similarly, Popal will also need allies in Kabul to counter or by-pass malign influences like former Helmand Governor Sher Mohammad Akhunzada (SMA),who have the potential to undermine the expansion of good governance and development in the Helmand Central River Valley following successful clearing operations. EIKENBERRY