US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4810

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 004810 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, IZ, Elections 
SUBJECT: TNA VOTE ON PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS LAW  UNCERTAIN 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford, 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
 1. (U) A final TNA vote on the provincial elections 
law was scheduled December 1, but the Assembly took no 
action due to a lack of quorum.  The provincial 
elections law was amended from the one presented at 
the second reading November 28; it sets the date for 
local, municipal, and provincial elections "two months 
after the formation of the new government, except for 
the governorate councils of the region of Kurdistan" 
and places the responsibility for holding these 
elections on the IECI. 
 
2. (C) TNA Legal Committee Chairman Muhsin Sa'adun 
told Poloff December 1 that he expects the TNA to 
leave it to the Council of Representatives to set a 
date for provincial council elections.  Sa'adun said 
he had consulted the IECI and recognized that two 
months was too short a time frame for holding the 
vote.  He said he expected the proposal to be read, 
criticized, and put off for the next government when 
the Assembly reconvenes on Sunday, December 4. 
 
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BACKGROUND 
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3. (U) The previous version of the bill set the date 
for provincial elections on February 11, 2006 in all 
governorates except those in Kurdistan.  After the 
reading, Legal Committee Chairman Muhsin Sa'adoun read 
a letter from IECI Chairman Izadin al-Mohammady, 
stating that the IECI could not conduct elections by 
the referenced date and that the IECI would need six 
months to prepare for such elections. 
 
4.  (U) A lively discussion ensued among the members, 
with some arguing for elections two or three months 
after the formation of the new government, and one 
even saying that elections should be held in one or 
two years so provincial and national elections could 
be held off-cycle.  Another member argued that the 
IECI should expand its mandate and be responsible for 
elections for sub-provincial councils (e.g., district, 
municipal, neighborhood, etc.).  Deputy Speaker 
Hussein Al-Shahristani referred the bill back to the 
Legal Committee and the Provincial and Governorate 
Affairs Committee to produce a modified draft for a 
final reading and vote. 
 
5.  (C) Ambassador on November 29 urged Abdel Aziz al- 
Hakim, the leader of the largest parliamentary bloc, 
the Shia Islamist Coalition, to move the date of the 
provincial elections back.  Al-Hakim seemed to accept 
the idea.  PolCouns explained the security challenges 
to influential Shia Islamist parliamentarian Sami al- 
Askeri November 28 who also seemed open to the idea of 
a delay. 
 
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COMMENT 
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6.  (C) If this bill is passed as is, it could move 
the election date to late March.  By contrast, if the 
provincial elections bill is not approved prior to 
adjournment, then there will be no date set for these 
elections.  This would increase the prospects of a 
date that provides more time for adequate IECI 
preparation. 
KHALILZAD