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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000043 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR SA/FO AMBASSADOR QUINN, S/CT, SA/A 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, KAMEND 
CENTCOM FOR POLAD, CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 
STATE PLEASE PASS USAID 
USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
TREASURY FOR APARAMESWARAN 
 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM AF
SUBJECT: INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION FACES 
CHALLENGES 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  The United Nations Development 
Program faces a USD 11 million shortfall from the 2005 
Wolesi Jirga and Provincial Council elections and an 
additional 2.9 million for transition support to the 
new Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) 
Without additional assistance, the UNDP may sell off 
election assets to meet its debts. More importantly the 
IEC will not have the financial support it needs to 
become a credible, functioning national election 
commission and the international community may shoulder 
an even greater burden to fund and administer future 
elections in Afghanistan.  End Summary. 
 
Election Budget Shortfall Greater than Expected 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) With the inauguration of the National 
Assembly on December 19, the Joint Electoral Management 
Body (JEMB) dissolved and the Independent Electoral 
Commission (IEC) assumed all powers to administer and 
oversee electoral processes.  While only three weeks 
old, the IEC is already facing serious budgetary and 
operational challenges.  The UNDP, which oversees the 
election project on behalf of donors, faces 
unanticipated costs in both the budget for the 2005 
parliamentary elections and in the transition and 
capacity-building budget for the new IEC. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Higher-than-expected costs for ballot 
production and transportation increased the total cost 
for the 2005 Wolesi Jirga and Provincial Council 
elections by USD 9 million (from USD 159 million to USD 
168 million).  Combined with the unfunded amount from 
the election budget of USD 2.1 million, the total 2005 
election deficit will be around $11.1 million that must 
now be covered by the UNDP. The deficit is primarily 
owed to UNOPS, a sub-contractor to UNDP, responsible 
for election personnel, procurement, logistics, 
supplies, and equipment. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The IEC also needs an additional USD 2.9 
million in order to cover its own costs until March 20, 
when the GOA is expected to take over annual 
operational costs.  The USD 2.9 million would cover 
salaries for IEC staff (national and 34 provincial 
staff), limited operational costs, 4 to 6 international 
experts, and electoral administrative training and 
civic education projects. This budget does not cover a 
future voter registration pilot project, annual 
operating costs, or the necessary delimitation of 
district and municipal constituency. 
 
Transfer of Assets to IEC Begins 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) An earlier agreement with UNDP and UNOPS that 
election assets would be transferred to the IEC, the 
provincial election offices, provincial councils, and 
the parliament has begun to be implemented. However, 
election commissioners have expressed concerns that 
computers, vehicles and phone equipment may be sold off 
to cover the deficit before the national and provincial 
IEC offices are adequately equipped. They also 
expressed a concern that governors in each province 
have been entrusted with the equipment and there are 
reports that equipment is missing.  UNOPS also decided 
not to transport back to the Kabul the thousands of 
chairs, tables and voting screens used to equip the 
26,000 polling stations. Instead, they are writing a 
proposal to UNDP to give these election assets to the 
"best community recipient" in each province and 
district. However, the best community recipient may be 
determined by UNOPS not to be the election offices or 
the provincial councils. Embassy and USAID election 
advisors are now in discussions with UNOPS to ensure 
that election assets are offered first to the 
provincial election offices or the provincial councils. 
 
Land Dispute on the Horizon 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The final challenge currently for the IEC is 
a land dispute - not an uncommon problem in 
Afghanistan. UNOPS built eight buildings on a large 
parcel of land supposedly owned by the Government of 
Afghanistan. However, a dispute has arisen between the 
President's office and several ministries about the 
land title. The IEC received a letter of eviction from 
the Ministry of Power and Water recently and the 
Education and the Mines and Industry Ministries have 
also laid claim to the land. The Election Commissioners 
are looking to President Karzai to settle the land 
ownership dispute. 
 
Comment: Additional Aid to IEC Will be Needed 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) These debts threaten to cripple the IEC 
before it has a chance to get of the ground, and could 
lead to additional GOA funding requests for future 
elections and current capacity-building projects, if 
not addressed soon.  Without a functioning IEC, the 
international community may be asked once again to 
support administrative costs, and possibly administer 
elections currently being discussed for 2006 or 2007. 
The United States contributed USD 40 million in direct 
support to the 2005 UNDP election budget and $500,000 
to the IEC's transitional budget.  Thus far, only the 
US and UNDP have made a donation for the IEC's 
transitional operations (UNDP has contributed 
$400,000).  The US will also provide an estimated USD 2- 
3 million in in-kind support (such as technical 
assistance, a resource center, public outreach, and 
training) over the next year to the IEC and its 
subsidiary bodies via its democracy development 
implementing partners such as NDI, IRI, TAF and IFES. 
The needs for the IEC are real, but we have already 
supplied the lion's share of the funding.  It is now 
time for the other international donors to fill the 
gap.  End Comment. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Note: A December 19 letter from SRSG Jean 
Arnault to Ambassador Neumann requested donors pony up 
an additional USD 16 million, as well as solicit funds 
to cover the past deficits.  The Ambassador will 
respond with a letter acknowledging Arnault's request, 
noting the importance of elections and the IEC, 
reminding the SRSG of the large contributions we have 
already made, but making no/no new commitments. End 
Note. 
 
NEUMANN