US embassy cable - 05KABUL5010

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 005010 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SA/FO AMBASSADOR QUINN, S/CT, SA/A 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND 
CENTCOM FOR POLAD, CG CFA-A, CG CJTF-76 
USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, KDEM, AF 
SUBJECT: KARZAI'S MESHRANO JIRGA APPOINTMENTS 
 
REF: KABUL 4893 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: President Karzai released his official list 
of 34 appointments to the Meshrano Jirga (MJ, Upper House of 
Parliament) on December 10.  The list fulfills Afghan 
Electoral Law requirements that he include 17 women, two 
Kuchi representatives, and two representatives of the martyrs 
and disabled.  Notable among his appointees are former 
mujahadeen President Mojadiddi, former Minister of Defense 
Marshal Fahim, current Minister of Martyrs and Disabled 
Seddiqa Balkhi, and the current Governors from Helmand and 
Takhar, who will have to resign their positions before 
accepts seats in Kabul.  USG-sponsored training sessions 
began on December 10, and discussions continue among MP's 
about the identity of the future Speaker.  END SUMMARY. 
 
WHO'S ON THE LIST 
------------------ 
 
2. (SBU) Per Afghan Electoral Law, President Karzai announced 
the names of thirty-four people, already cleared by the Joint 
Electoral Management Body (JEMB), to the MJ on December 10. 
Notable among the names are former President of the 
mujahadeen government and Speaker of the Constitutional Loya 
Jirga Sibghatullah Mujaddidi, former Defense Minister 
Mohammad Qasim (Marshal) Fahim, current Minister of Martyrs 
and Disabled Siddiqa Balkhi, and two sitting Governors, Sher 
Mohammad Akhunzada from Helmand and Abdul Kabir Marzban from 
Takhar.  Former Hekmatyar loyalist Ustad Abdul Saboor Farid 
and Taliban Deputy Minister Arsalan Rahmani are also among 
the appointees, as is Syed Hamid Gailani of the well-known 
Gailani family, who lost his campaign in the Wolesi Jirga 
(WJ, Lower House of Parliament) election on September 18.  In 
a nod to slain WJ candidate Ashraf Ramazan from 
Mazar-i-Sharif, Ramazan's brother, Ahmad Shah Ramazan, was 
also named as a MJ representative. 
 
3. (U) Karzai's appointments fulfill the Electoral Law 
requirement for seventeen women, two Kuchis (nomads, 
represented by Haji Nazar Mohammad and Belqis Kochi), and two 
representatives for the martyrs and disabled (Abdul Baqi 
Baryal and Haji Nafisa).  The complete list of names is as 
follows: 
 
- Sibghatullah Mujaddidi 
- Mohammad Qasim Fahim 
- Siddiqa Balkhi 
- Sher Mohammad Akhunzada 
- Abdul Kabir Marzban 
- Abdul Saboor Farid 
- Arsalan Rahmani 
- Syed Hamid Gailani 
- Ahmad Ramazan 
- Haji Nazar Mohammad 
- Belqis Kochi 
- Abdul Baqi Baryal 
- Haji Nafisa 
- Ganga Ram 
- Mahbooba Haquqmal 
- Qamar Khosti 
- Rawshan Ara Alokozai 
- Musalima Husseini 
- Tayyeba Zahidi 
- Humaira Naimati 
- Reda Azimi 
- Najiba Husseini 
- Sara Surkhabi 
- Alia Qarizada 
- Khadija Husseini 
- Kubra Aman 
- Sohaila Sharifi 
- Najiba Rokshani Zarahorzahee 
- Haji Mohammad Esa Khan Shinwari 
- Al-haj Suleman Yari 
- Mohammad Hasan Hotak 
- Professor Abdul Baqi 
- Qurban Ali Irfani 
- Haji Tordia Khan 
 
WHAT NOW? 
--------- 
 
4. (SBU) Minister Balkhi and the two Governors will have to 
quit their current positions before being added to the final 
list of 102 members of the legislative body, which included 
the 68 provincially-elected representatives announced on 
December 4 (reftel).  These appointments likely smoothed the 
way for otherwise difficult personnel transfers.  Both jirgas 
are scheduled to assemble in full on December 19 for the 
official inauguration of Parliament, and to hold internal 
elections for President (Speaker) of each house shortly 
thereafter. 
 
5. (SBU) COMMENT: More than three hundred representatives 
from both jirgas met on December 10 for the first session of 
a week-long, USG-sponsored orientation and training program 
in Kabul.  The large attendance at the orientation, which 
included such notables as Sayyaf and Mohaqqeq, is gratifying. 
 Reports were mixed, however, regarding the success of the 
first session, which was dominated by a lengthy 
autobiographical speech by Secretariat General Dr. Aziz 
Lodin.  While a consistent theme from many MP's has been, 
"it's time to forget the past and our differences in order to 
move forward," Dr. Lodin's opening speech was a 20-minute 
peroration on his own mujahed background and a few MP's 
commented that it struck the wrong note, emphasizing 
differences among the many political groups represented in 
the new Parliament.  That said, there was considerable 
anticipation about the content of the training program, and 
reports indicate that the second session on December 11 went 
very well. 
 
6. (SBU) MP's are using the final days before the 
inauguration to meet privately and discuss the race for 
Speaker of the WJ.  MP cell phones ring incessantly as they 
go from social events to group meetings to tete-a-tetes with 
other MP's and political players.  The underlying theme for 
much of this activity is a simple one: selection of Speakers 
for the new Parliament.  Rumors of bribery and exertion of 
influence are rife, and pre-selection activity for the 
Speaker posts will intensify during the coming week. 
 
NEUMANN