This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L HILLAH 000001 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  1/2/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: DIWANIYAH LEADERS HOPE FOR MORE LOCAL AUTONOMY FROM NEW 
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: ALFRED FONTENEAU, REGIONAL COORDINATOR, REO, 
AL-HILLAH, STATE. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Both the Diwaniyah Governor and Supreme Council 
for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) Head expressed a 
desire for more local autonomy under the new Iraqi Government in 
separate meetings on December 29. Each was optimistic regarding 
the quick formation of a national unity government, although the 
SCIRI head cautioned that all parties in the new National 
Assembly (NA) must act according to their "real size and real 
abilities." End summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Diwaniyah Governor Khalil Jalil Hamza Al-Hamdawi told REO 
Al-Hillah staff in a December 29 meeting that what his province 
needed most from the newly elected National Assembly was 
"decentralization." Al-Hamdawi said that given more local 
autonomy, the provincial government would be better equipped to 
rebuild infrastructure, undertake reconstruction projects and 
provide jobs. He said that as soon as the final results of the 
December 15 elections were revealed, he and other provincial 
officials would formally brief Diwaniyah's eight newly-elected 
NA representatives on the needs of the province, with 
decentralization being first on the list. (Note: Early election 
returns indicate that the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA, ballot 
number 555) won all eight of Diwaniyah's seats. End note.) 
 
¶3. (C) In a separate meeting, Shaykh Hussein Al-Khalidi, a 
member of the Provincial Council and the provincial head of 
SCIRI, an organization within the UIA coalition, said the same 
thing regarding Diwaniyah's agenda in the new NA. It is the 
Provincial Council and the local government that is responsible 
for providing services to the people of Diwaniyah, Al-Khalidi 
maintained. "This is achieved by getting more authority from 
Baghdad, to give us more space, to provide these services," 
Al-Khalidi avowed. 
 
¶4. (C) Both officials were optimistic that a new national 
government would be formed quickly. Governor Al-Hamdawi 
predicted it would take less time than the "three months or so" 
it took to form the transitional government after the January 
2005 elections. Al-Khalidi, while reluctant to express an exact 
timetable, opined that formation would be settled "sooner than 
others expect." 
 
¶5. (C) Al-Hamdawi, who is affiliated with the Badr Organization, 
also a constituent group within the UIA coalition, related his 
desire to see "a national unity government with all components 
of the Iraqi people, to achieve economic, political and security 
stability." He said that he was confident that the national 
leaders of the various political lists were discussing such a 
government. 
 
¶6. (C) Shaykh Al-Khalidi was slightly less magnanimous. While he 
reported his opinion that all of the elements within the UIA 
coalition believe in a national unity government, he qualified 
this by saying that there must be balance based on each 
coalition's electoral performance. "Each party should realize, 
and know, its real size and real abilities," Al-Khalidi 
cautioned. "And thus, each can play its natural role." 
 
¶7. (C) When asked to predict the identity of the new prime 
minister, Al-Khalidi sounded a more inclusive note. "I don't 
look at the person, I look at the interests of the nation of 
Iraq. We want to see a person acceptable to Kurds, Sunnis, and 
the United States," he offered. "If one side is not satisfied 
with the prime minister, this will be a problem and an obstacle 
on our way forward." In spite of this statement, Al-Khalidi 
seemed to indicate an unwillingness to consider a prime minister 
from outside the UIA umbrella by asking REO staff if the U.S. 
would prefer current Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari or Deputy 
President Adel Abdul Mehdi, a SCIRI official, as prime minister 
in the new government. 
 
¶8. (C) Comment: Shi'a officials in other South Central provinces 
have voiced the same wish for increased local autonomy. Most 
seem to be eager primarily for the opportunity to exercise more 
control over money slated for reconstruction and job creation 
programs. End comment. 
 
FONTENEAU