US embassy cable - 05BRATISLAVA302

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000302 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, LO, IZ 
SUBJECT: IRAQI CIVIL SERVANTS AND NGO REPS TRAIN IN SLOVAKIA 
 
REF: 04 Bratislava 991 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
1.   (U) Through a grant from the International Republican 
Institute (IRI), the Pontis Foundation brought nine Iraqi 
civil servants and NGO leaders to Slovakia for three weeks 
in March.  This was the second group of four planned.  It 
consisted of one IRI-Baghdad employee, two NGO, four 
Ministry of Education, and two MFA representatives.  This is 
part of an on-going IRI/Pontis-sponsored program to expose 
Iraqi civil servants and NGO representatives the experience 
of a country that recently navigated a democratic transition 
(reftel). 
 
2.   (U) The MFA and Ministry of Education (MOE) will sign 
an agreement on future cooperation with Iraqi ministries to 
share the transition experience.  Pontis will bring the 
third group of Iraqis to Slovakia April 21.  The group will 
consist of one IRI-Baghdad employee, three politicians, 
three Iraqi MFA officials, and three NGO representatives. 
By the end of the four sponsored visits, Pontis will have 
brought 32 Iraqi civil servants and NGO representatives to 
Slovakia for training. 
 
3. (U) Five members of the delegation described their 
experiences positively at the March 23 IRI/Pontis "Young 
Iraqi Leaders in Slovakia" forum.  Iraqi participants 
included Hisham A. Mohammed and Allaa M.O. Al-Shamari from 
the Iraqi MFA, Seba K. Abbas Kamas from the Iraqi Ministry 
of Higher Education, Salim Kh. Saad from the NGO Students 
Against War, and Dr. Yasser Hussain  from the NGO Iraqi 
Doctors.  Participants spent one week each at the Slovak 
MFA, Slovak MOE, and various NGOs.  All participants 
appreciated the IRI/Pontis program, saying it was a useful 
and practical experience. 
 
4. (U) Mohammed made a short introductory presentation at 
the Forum where he described optimistically the next steps 
in Iraq, including the new constitution and next elections. 
Participants discussed the practical application of the 
constitution and potential changes to the current 
proportional electoral system to a majoritarian system. 
They confidently argued that Iraq has a five-thousand year 
tradition, so Iraqi experts and lawyers could easily draft a 
constitution.  They reacted strongly against an assertion by 
an audience member that Paul Bremmer prepared the current 
election law, emphasizing the role of the Iraqi Supreme 
Election Commission.  They recognized the current law might 
be improved but was adequate for now. 
 
5. (SBU) Salim Saad told emboff privately that it is much 
more useful to come to a country like Slovakia, which is 
small and recently went through a democratic transition, 
than to go to a big city like London where the legal system 
has been in place for a long time.  Each of the Iraqi 
participants said that learning about the Slovak experience 
with NGOs was the most useful part of the training.  They 
noted the role of NGOs is new to them and were impressed by 
how NGOs serve as mediators between the people and the 
government.  The discussion about the watchdog role of NGOs 
seemed to be especially valuable.  Salim said the U.S. is 
providing most of the funding to Iraqi NGOs; only relatively 
small contributions come from Europe.  He noted the need for 
more donors.  Hussain  presented his NGO, Iraqi Doctors, 
noting the organization originally focused on health care 
but switched to democracy building before the elections. 
 
6. (SBU) COMMENT.  The group was energetic, capable, and 
idealistic.  The discussion was optimistic and forward- 
looking.  Participants seemed determined to make their 
country a democratic success and benefited greatly from the 
program in Slovakia.  The 27-year old Hussain  particularly 
impressed emboffs and the Pontis organizers as a future 
leader with his frank and energetic, can-do approach.  END 
COMMENT. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED 
 
THAYER 
 
 
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