US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4812

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 004812 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, PHUM, IZ, Elections 
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN LIST BEGINS ACTIVE CAMPAIGN 
 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) 
AND (D). 
 
 1. (C) SUMMARY:  Poloffs met December 1 with Amjed 
Abdulahad, a member of the Christian list, "Al-Nahrain 
Watani," to discuss progress on the campaign and the 
political environment in the weeks prior to the December 15 
election.  Abdulahad said he hopes the election will result 
in an increase of the total number of Christians in the 
Assembly from six to at least ten.  He said that his list has 
begun a multi-faceted political campaign, mainly in Ninewa 
and Baghdad provinces.  He downplayed candidate intimidation 
as a problem, asserting that only Yonadim Kanna's list has 
been targeted within the Christian political community.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) The six-party Al-Nahrain Watani list is a mix of 
Assyrians and Chaldeans based primarily in Ninewa and 
Baghdad, but also running in Kirkuk, Diyala, Dohuk, and Basra 
provinces.  A few other leading Christian politicians in Iraq 
are running on separate lists, or have joined forces with 
other non-Christian lists in order to increase their chances 
of winning a seat in the next elections.  While there are a 
total of six Christians in the Transitional National 
Assembly, Abdulahad said he hoped this number would increase 
to at least ten in the new Council of Representatives. 
 
3.  (C) Abdulahad said Al-Nahrain Watani receives the 
majority of its financial support from members based outside 
of Iraq, including Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany.  He said 
the Christian parties in his list began to campaign actively 
last week.  In addition to putting up posters and 
distributing pamphlets, the Christians have been publishing 
special electoral newspapers, organizing town halls, 
participating in press conferences, and conducting TV 
interviews.  Abdulahad's main complaint to poloffs was that 
the Christian list is not as large as other lists and thus 
needs more time to cover ground while campaigning. 
 
4.  (C) In contrast with other political leaders, Abdulahad 
downplayed reports of candidate intimidation.  He asserted 
that Yonadim Kanna's list is the only Christian group facing 
intimidation.  (NOTE:  Three members of Yonadim's party were 
killed earlier this week in Ninewa province.)  Poloffs 
affirmed the U.S. commitment to the participation of all 
Iraqis in the December 15 election and opposition to any 
instance of intimidation.  Abdulahad avoided making 
speculations on why Kanna is being targeted, but instead went 
out of his way to emphasize that his list does not attack 
other parties as a campaign strategy. 
 
5. (SBU) BIO NOTE:  Amjed Abdulahad is a Chaldean born in the 
Christian district of Ankawa in Arbil.  He went to university 
in Mosul and has lived most of his life in Baghdad.  He said 
he decided to run as a candidate in Diyala province, to 
increase the percentage of votes his list receives in that 
province. 
KHALILZAD