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O 140528Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0824
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
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RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
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RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J3//
RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 6045
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFIUU/COMSOCCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASH DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002704 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/FO, S/CT, SCA/A 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN 
CENTCOM FOR POLAD, CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76 
STATE PLEASE PASS USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
TREASURY FOR APARAMESWARAN 
REL NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF 
 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM AF
SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN PROVINCIAL 
COUNCIL LAW 
 
REF: (A) Kabul 1069, (B) Kabul 2318 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Both houses of the Afghan National 
Assembly have drafted revisions to the Provincial 
Council Law, which will be considered by the Wolesi 
Jirga upon their return from recess in July.  The 
revisions would strengthen the role of Provincial 
Councils in provincial governance, giving them greater 
oversight authority.  This move is the first proactive 
attempt at legislating by the Parliament to date, and 
inserts them into the debate over the role Provincial 
Councils should have in provincial governance.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
Proposed Changes to Provincial Council Law 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) Parliament is considering the following 
changes to the Provincial Council law: 
 
- Granting Provincial Councils (PCs) authority to 
supervise government programs in the provinces. (Both 
houses) 
- Requiring provincial government departments to 
provide quarterly reports (on programs and budgeting) 
to the Councils. (Meshrano Jirga/MJ/upper house only) 
- Granting PCs authority to approve provincial 
development plans. (Wolesi Jirga/WJ/lower house only) 
- Adding counter-narcotics and anti-alcohol goals to 
the items included in PCs' areas of responsibility. 
(Both houses) 
- Provincial Councils would be held accountable to the 
Office of Administrative Affairs within the Palace, not 
the Ministry of Interior. (MJ only) 
- Dissolution of a Provincial Council would require 
agreement of the President and Meshrano Jirga, not a 
decision by the Ministry of Interior. (WJ only) 
- In the case of the death of a member of the 
Provincial Council, the seat would remain open. (WJ 
only) 
 
¶3. (SBU) In a meeting in May, Kubra Mustafawi, Chair of 
the Meshrano Jirga Committee on Provincial Councils, 
stated that these changes came out of discussions with 
PC members from across Afghanistan during the national 
conference of Provincial Councils called by President 
Karzai on March 1 (Ref A).  She stated that the PC 
members gave the MJ permission to make improvements to 
the PC law based on the report that came out of the 
Committee.  Her committee drafted an amended bill and 
sent it to the Wolesi Jirga, where, according to the 
Constitution, all changes to transitional laws must 
originate.  The WJ Legislation Committee reviewed the 
bill and presented its report on the legislation to the 
Wolesi Jirga on the last day of its first session (June 
5).  The Wolesi Jirga briefly discussed whether to 
debate the bill, then decided to postpone substantive 
debate until their return from recess (tentatively, 
July 23). 
 
Relations between Parliament and PCs 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) Members of Parliament, and the Meshrano Jirga 
in particular, have emerged as strong advocates for 
Provincial Councils.  While their request was not 
included in the final budget approved by the Wolesi 
Jirga, the Parliament did include a USD2.5 million 
 
KABUL 00002704  002 OF 002 
 
 
increase in funds for PCs in its budget request to the 
President.  In addition, in meetings, MPs frequently 
put forward requests for the USG to consult with 
Provincial Councils in the setting of development 
priorities, and seek additional support (from technical 
assistance on budgeting to cars) for PC members.  Ms. 
Mustafawi has begun to attend meetings of the 
Provincial Council Coordinating group, chaired by the 
Ministry of Interior, and pursues these goals in this 
forum as well. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Members of the Meshrano Jirga - two-thirds of 
which were elected from Provincial Councils - have a 
particularly close connection to PCs.  MJ members 
communicate regularly with PC members by phone.  MJ 
members also receive delegations of constituents from 
their provinces on a weekly basis and have participated 
in delegations back to the provinces (Ghor, Dai Kundi, 
Wardak, Bamyan, Ghazni and Herat)at the request of PC 
members. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The fact that Parliament independently drafted 
amendments to the PC law is significant in terms of its 
development, and comes early in the Parliament's 
institutional development.  While it was not able to 
move beyond procedural discussions to debate the 
substance of the bill in the final days before recess, 
the Wolesi Jirga's move is a sign that it will closely 
consider the significant transitional laws it has 
before it.  It also indicates that Parliament does have 
the technical capacity to draft amendments and bills. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The choice of the PC law as the first bill to 
consider is also significant.  Parliament has a natural 
affinity for its fellow elected bodies, but it will be 
interesting to see how the Parliament's interest will 
play against an administration unsure how far to 
empower the PCs (Ref B).  The changes proposed to the 
PC law are not dramatic - they do not transform PCs 
into miniature parliaments - but they are significant, 
making PCs more independent of their governors and 
granting them more oversight over provincial policy. 
We will be following this issue closely to see which 
changes make it through the entire legislative process. 
END COMMENT. 
 
NEUMANN