US embassy cable - 05THEHAGUE956

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000956 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2015 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, AF, UNSC 
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/AFGHANISTAN: FUNDING AFGHANISTAN'S 
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 
 
REF: STATE 61560 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer for reasons 1.4 (b) a 
nd (d). 
 
1.  (C)  Poloff met Marit van Zomeren (MFA Afghanistan Desk) 
April 6 to request augmented Dutch support for subject 
elections (reftel).  Referring to a comprehensive list of 
Dutch contributions in Afghanistan for the 2001-2005 period 
(outlined below), van Zomeren said the GoNL had disbursed to 
UNDP in March four million euro for 2005 to support 
parliamentary elections.  She recalled that Development 
Minister van Ardenne had recently visited the area and stated 
publicly that the Netherlands was one of the first to pledge 
and pay, so she would wait to see what other donors would now 
contribute before discussing an augmented Dutch contribution. 
 Further, van Zomeren said that van Ardenne identified other 
priority resource needs for Afghanistan, including 
disarmament, setting up the parliament, and fighting drugs. 
In this context, van Zomeren speculated that the 4 million 
euro might be the best the GoNL could do for now.  She agreed 
that UNDP's reported shortfall is large, but suggested that 
UNDP and donors would find a way to come up with sufficient 
resources in the end through donations and ad hoc mechanisms. 
 (Note: Van Zomeren said that she and her department at the 
MFA follow the elections and its resource needs more closely 
than her counterparts at the Ministry for Development, which 
plays a role and with whom Poloff also shared reftel points.) 
 
2.  (C)  Money aside, van Zomeren volunteered that the GoNL 
worries more about the time-line for elections and how the 
lethargic and cautious GOA decision-making process severely 
hampers preparations.  She pointed out that the GOA has 
numerous decisions pending on issues that need resolution 
before election preparations can proceed, among them voting 
rules, seat allocations (including Kuchi nomad seats), and 
preparations for provincial elections.  UNDP is forced to 
rush arrangements as soon as the GOA makes decisions on key 
steps, she complained. 
 
3.  (C)  EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan Vendrell receives 
strong support from an engaged Dutch delegation, van Zomeren 
said.  His reports to Brussels reveal he is "very worried" 
about the pace of preparations and that he has pressed 
President Karzai to act.  Van Zomeren added that Vendrell 
reports to EU colleagues that Karzai's cabinet hesitates, 
fearing to  make unpopular decisions. 
 
4.  (C)  Finally, van Zomeren asked about the status of USG 
support for Afghanistan.  She said that van Ardenne had heard 
recently from the Afghan Minister of Finance that the U.S. 
Senate had plans to dramatically reduce USG pledges for 2005. 
 
5.  (SBU)  Summary of The Netherlands contributions to 
Afghanistan 2001-2005 
 
2001: 21.4 million euro (5.5 million to UNHCR, the rest to 
WFP, OCHA, UNICEF, ICRC, and others) 
 
2002: 90 million euro (35 million to Afghan reconstruction 
trust fund (ARTF), small amounts to rebuilding the army and 
police training, 10.5 million to UNHCR, 37.8 million to 
humanitarian projects) 
 
2003:  54 million euro (41 million to rebuilding of which 35 
million to the ARTF, 13 million to humanitarian assistance 
including UNHCR and NGO support); 
 
2004: 52 million euro (45 million to rebuilding, including 35 
million to the ARTF and 2.8 million for elections, and 7 
million for humanitarian support including UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP 
and NGOs); 
 
2005 (projected):  50 million euro (25 million to the ARTF, 4 
million to elections distributed to UNDP in March, 10-15 
million to various projects supported by the Stability Fund 
such as drug control and disposal of weapons, and 4.5 million 
to humanitarian assistance).  In addition, the Embassy of The 
Netherlands in Kabul has 600,000 euro to spend on security, 
human rights, and reconstruction projects as identified in 
the Embassy's program plan for 2005-2008. 
SOBEL