VZCZCXRO3879
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHMOS
DE RUEHKUK #0113/01 1341447
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 141447Z MAY 06
FM REO KIRKUK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0657
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0619
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHKUK/REO KIRKUK 0685

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KIRKUK 000113 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
BAGHDAD FOR POL, NCT, ECON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR KDEM EPET KWMN IZ
SUBJECT: KRG SWEARS IN UNIFIED CABINET 
 
KIRKUK 00000113  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  The Kurdistan Regional Government swore in its new 
unified cabinet May 7, the  major step in its path towards full 
unification.  Until now, the KRG had rival cabinets in Erbil 
(dominated by the Kurdistan Democratic Party) and in 
Sulaymaniyah (dominated by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan). 
Creating eight new regional ministries, the new ministry lineup 
largely matches that in Baghdad.  The extra ministerial slots 
also helped let the parties avoid losing many cabinet seats as 
they merged two complete cabinets into one.  In unscripted 
remarks before he began his speech, PM Barzani said the large 
number of ministries (27) was "transitional" and would later 
drop. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Revealing one KRG priority, the KRG has created a 
Natural Resources ministry to deal with oil.  In his speech, PM 
Barzani (highlights septel) mentioned territories Saddam had 
removed from Kurdish control and that the KRG wants to reclaim 
through law.  To pursue this, the KRG has now named the KDP's 
Mohammed Ihsan, the former Erbil minister for human rights, to 
be "Minister for Areas outside the Kurdistan Region" (they did 
not create a ministry). 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Four KRG ministries are not expected to unify for a 
year: Interior, Finance, Justice and Peshmerga (defense). 
Interior and finance will keep the same ministers.  PUK and KDP 
each have named new justice ministers and Peshmerga ministers. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The new cabinet has 42 members, only six fewer than 
the two rival cabinets combined.  The parties took the 
opportunity to bring in fresh blood: well over half of the 
members are new.  Two new ministers were senior PUK Peshmerga 
commanders.  Smaller parties complain that they deserve more 
cabinet slots.  The KDP and PUK remain firmly in control, but 
each did agree to give up 7 and 4 ministerial slots 
respectively.  Smaller parties almost than doubled their 
representation, going from 6 slots to 11.  Almost all the non 
KDP or PUK ministers are new; the Turcomans and Christians come 
from different parties than in the last cabinet.  Yezidi and 
Faili Kurds both joined the cabinet.  Although PM Barzani 
mentioned women's rights in his speech, he appointed only 3 to 
his cabinet: the previous rival cabinets had at least 3 women 
each.  The three women unified cabinet ministers are Chinar 
Sa'ad Abdullah, Minister for Martyrs and Anfal Victims, Nazanin 
Mohammad Waso, Minister for Municipalities, and Dr. Jinan Qasim, 
a minister without portfolio. 
 
STATISTICS 
---------- 
 
¶5.  (U)  Ministries Continuing to Have At Least One Minister the 
Same as Before: 
 
  Interior (ministry not to unify for one year): 
    Minister: Osman Haji Mahmud (PUK, was Sulaymaniyah Interior 
      Minister) 
    (Deputy) Minister of State: Abdul-Karim Sultan Sinjari (KDP, 
      was Erbil Interior Minister) 
 
  Finance (ministry not to unify for one year): 
    Minister: Serkis Aghajan Memendu (KDP, was Erbil Finance 
      Minister and Deputy PM) 
    (Deputy) Minister of State: Bayiz Sa'id Mohammad Talabani 
      (PUK, was Sulaymaniyah Finance Minister) 
 
  Transporation 
    Minister: Burhan Sa'id Sofi (PUK, was Sulaymaniyah Transp. 
      and Commo Minister) 
 
  Communications 
    Minister: Haydar Sheykh Ali (AKA Hayder Faili)(Kurdistan 
      Communist Party, was Erbil Transport. and Commo. Minister) 
 
(NB: The unified PM Nechivan Barzani was PM in Erbil; the 
unified Deputy PM Omar Fattah was PM in Sulaymaniyah.) 
 
Unified Ministers Not in Outgoing Cabinets (i.e., new 
ministers): 25 
 
¶6.  (U)  Newly Created Ministries/Portfolios: 
 
(U)  The new cabinet creates eight ministries by splitting in 
two four previously combined ministries: "Industry and Energy," 
"Transportation and Communication," "Municipalities and 
Tourism," and "Human Rights, Anfal Victims and Refugees."  One 
half of the "Industry and Energy" ministry becomes the new 
"Natural Resources" ministry to deal with oil.  Another newly 
emerging, separate ministry is for "Martyrs and Anfal Victims." 
 
KIRKUK 00000113  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
(U)  The KRG also created six wholly new ministries: 
 Water Resources 
 Planning 
 Electricity 
 Sports and Youth 
 Trade 
 Environment. 
A KDP minister was named, but no ministry established, for 
"Affairs of Kurdistani Areas outside the KRG" (to push for other 
Kurdish areas to join the KRG, such as Kirkuk). 
 
(SBU)  The KRG abolished its "Cooperation" ministries, which 
Baghdad reportedly had complained about as proto-MFAs. 
 
¶7.  (U)  Party Winners/Losers. 
 
 
                                 Unified    Erbil   Sulaymaniyah 
                                 Cabinet   Cabinet    Cabinet 
KDP Ministers                      15        22        None 
PUK Ministers                      16       None        20 
Non KDP or PUK Ministers           11        6         None 
Ministers Not Ethnic Kurds          7        5         None 
Women Ministers                     3        3           4 
 
Number of Ministries               26       17          17 
Ministers of State                  4      None        None 
Min. with portfolio w/out ministry  1      None        None 
Min. w/out Ministry or portfolio    9        8           1 
 
Total number ministers, PM and Dep 42       28          20 
 
Party Gains/Losses:          Unified       Erbil   Sulaymaniyah 
                             Cabinet      Cabinet     Cabinet 
 KDP: including PM, Dep (-7) 15           22       None 
  heading ministries            10           14        - 
  deputy or with portfolio       3            1        - 
  without portfolio              1            5        - 
 
 PUK: including PM, Dep (-4) 16           None     20 
  heading ministries            11            -        17 
  deputy or with portfolio       2            -        None 
  without portfolio              2            -         1 
 
 Kurdstn Islamic Union (1+)   2 total     1 (Justice)  None 
  heading ministries             1 (Trade)    -         - 
  without portfolio              1            -         - 
 
 Kurdstn Islamic Group (1+)   1 (Environment) None     None 
 
 Turcoman Parties/Ind. (1+)   2 total     1 (TDM)      None 
  heading ministries             1 (Industry) None      - 
  without portfolio              1            1         - 
 Christian Parties/Ind. (-1)  2 total     3            None 
  heading ministries             1 (Tourism)  1(Ind. and Engy) 
  without portfolio              1            2         - 
 Independent Faili Kurd (1+)  1 w/out portfolio None   None 
 
 ¶K. Social Demcrat. Prty (1+) 1 w/out portfolio None   None 
 Kurdstn Toilers Prty (1+)    1 w/out portfolio None   None 
 Kurdstn Communist Prty(same) 1 (Com.)    1 (Trans/Com)None 
 
 
CABINET LIST 
------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  The following is the new cabinet list in the order 
published on the KRG's web site.  Those ministers who lead a 
ministry not yet unified with its counterpart, where the other 
party will lead the unified ministry, are called "Ministers of 
State."  Ministers without portfolio are called "Ministers of 
the Region."  (The KRG website also lists female cabinet members 
without a doctorate as "Mrs.," reproduced below.)  Most of the 
ministers won unanimous approval.  While our list is not 
complete, we have marked with "(maj)" those we know of who faced 
some opposition in the final, public vote. 
 
 -- Nechirvan Idris Barzani -- Prime Minister (KDP, was Erbil 
Prime Minister) 
 -- Omar Fattah Hussayn -- Deputy Prime Minister (PUK, was 
Sulaymaniyah Prime Minister) 
 -- Osman Haji Mahmud -- Minister for the Interior (PUK, was 
Sulay. Interior Min.) 
 -- Abdul Karim Sultan Shinjari -- Minister of State for the 
Interior (KDP, was Erbil Interior Min.) 
 -- Sarkis Aghajan Memendu -- Minister for Finance (KDP, was 
Erbil Deputy PM and Finance Min., Christian) 
 -- Bayiz Sa'id Muhammad Talabani -- Minister of State for 
 
KIRKUK 00000113  003 OF 003 
 
 
Finance (PUK, was Sulay. Finance Min.) 
 -- Faruq Jamil Sadiq -- Minister for Justice (PUK, new) 
 -- Azad Izaddin Mala Afandi -- Minister of State for Justice 
(KDP, was Erbil Ag and Irrigation Min.) 
 -- Omar Osman Ibrahim -- Minister for Peshmerga Affairs (i.e., 
defense)(PUK Politburo Member, new to Cabinet) 
 -- Jafar Mustafa Ali -- Minister of State for Peshmerga Affairs 
(PUK, was head of the PUK's Peshmerga Center, the administrative 
and personnel branch of the PUK militia, new to Cabinet) 
 -- Burhan Sa'id Sofi -- Minister for Transportation (PUK, was 
Sulay. Transport Min.) 
 -- Dilshad Abdul Rahman Mohammed -- Minister for Education 
(PUK, new) 
 -- Dr. Abdul Rahman Osman Younis -- Minister for Health (PUK, 
new) 
 -- Adnan Mohammad Qadir -- Minister for Social Affairs and 
Labor (PUK, commanded PUK Peshmerga in the Garmiyan area, i.e., 
Kifri and Kalar, new to Cabinet) 
 -- Muhammad Ahmad Sa'id Shakaly -- Minister for Awqaf (i.e., 
Religious Endowments)(PUK, was Sulay. Awqaf Min.) 
 -- Tahsin Qadir Ali -- Minister for Water Resources (PUK, new) 
 -- Imad Ahmad Sayfur -- Minister for Reconstruction and Housing 
(PUK, was Sulay. Dep. PM) 
 -- Osman Isma'il Hassan -- Minister for Planning (PUK, was 
Sulay. Dep. Finance Min.) 
 -- Yousif Mohammad Aziz -- Minister for Human Rights (PUK, new) 
 -- Idris Hadi Salih -- Minister for Higher Education and 
Scientific Research (KDP, new) 
 -- Abdul-Aziz Tayeb -- Minister for Agriculture (KDP, was Erbil 
Ed. Min.) 
 -- Mrs. Chinar Sa'ad Abdullah -- Minister for Martyrs and 
Victims of the Anfal (KDP KNA member, new to Cabinet) 
 -- Falak-Addin Kakayee -- Minister for Culture (KDP, was Erbil 
Min. without portfolio) 
 -- Hoshyar Abdul Rahman Siwaily -- Minister for Electricity 
(KDP, was Dep. Min. for Humanitarian Aid and Coop.) 
 -- Dr. Ashtee Hawramy -- Minister for Natural Resources (KDP, 
new) 
 -- Mrs. Nazanin Muhammad Waso -- Minister for Municipalities 
(KDP, was Erbil Min. for Reconstruct. and Housing) 
 -- Taha Abdul Rahman Ali -- Minister for Sports and Youth (KDP, 
new) 
 -- Dr. Muhammad Ihmsan -- Minister for Areas outside the 
Kurdistan Region (KDP, was Erbil Human Rights Min.) 
 -- Mohammad Raoof Mohammad -- Minister for Trade (Kurdistan 
Islamic Union, new) 
 -- Widad Khurshid Osman -- Minister for Industry (Turcoman 
Brotherhood Cultural Club, new) 
 -- Dara Mohammad Amin -- Minister for the Environment 
(Kurdistan Islamic Group, new) 
 -- Namrood Bithiu -- Minister for Tourism (Assyrian Patriotic 
Party, new)(maj., ADM's Salim Kako complained privately to RC(A) 
that Bithiu had been a Baathist until 1996 and more KNA members 
would have voted against Bithiu had the vote been secret) 
 -- Haydar Shekh Ali (AKA Hayder Faili) -- Minister for 
Communications (Kurdistan Communist Party, was Erbil Min. for 
Transp. and Commo.) 
 -- Abubakir Ali -- Minister for the Region (Kurdistan Islamic 
Union, new) 
 -- Dr. Jinan Qasim -- same title (PUK, new) 
 -- George Yousif Mansoor -- same title (Independent, 
Chaldo-Assyrian, new)(maj) 
 -- Dr. Dakhil Saeed Qasim -- same title (KDP, Yezidi Kurd, new) 
 -- Mohammad Haji Mahmood -- same title (Kurdistan Social 
Democratic Party leader, KNA member, new to Cabinet) 
 -- Mohmood Eido -- same title (PUK, Yezidi Kurd, new) 
 -- Madhat Mandalawy -- same title (Independent, Faili Kurd, new) 
 -- Sa'ad Khalid Mohammad Amin -- same title (Kurdistan Toilers' 
Party, new) 
 -- Abdul Latif Bandar Oghloo -- same title (Independent, 
Turcoman, new)(maj) 
BIGUS