VZCZCXRO0348
RR RUEHIK RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #0298 0370342
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060342Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2676
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS KABUL 000298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A 
NSC FOR WOOD 
OSD FOR SHIVERS 
CENTCOM FOR CG CJTF-82 POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MOPS AF
SUBJECT: PAKTIKA SUPER SHURA IS A SUPER SUCCESS 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: District shura and government leaders from 
throughout Paktika province met in the provincial capital, 
Sharana, for three days in a "super shura" (gathering of 
elders).  The shura was a huge success with a large number of 
attendees from diverse backgrounds, energetic debates, and 
creative solutions to provincial challenges.  The event was a 
historic meeting of all of the tribal groups present in the 
province along with Members of Parliament (MPs) and several 
Kabul-based representatives from key ministries.  More than 
600 Afghans attended to discuss the challenges facing Paktika 
and to propose a comprehensive slate of solutions requiring 
action from the central government and from provincial and 
tribal leaders. 
 
Attendees from the Entire Province and Diverse Backgrounds 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
¶2. (U) Paktika Governor Muhammad Akram Khpalwak assembled a 
three-day province-wide shura that included representatives 
from all 23 district shuras (19 official districts and four 
self-proclaimed) and 22 of 23 District Administrators.  The 
Governor and the Provincial Council (PC) secured 
participation from all major tribal groups, GIRoA officials, 
and from the Kuchi (a nomadic tribe).  Two of Paktika's eight 
MPs, the Minister for Communications and Information 
Technology, and several representatives from the Ministries 
of Health, Education, Water and Energy, and Rural 
Rehabilitation and Development attended the final day.  The 
International Community footprint was light, limited largely 
to logistics and security support.  Participants divided into 
five working groups to address governance, security, 
development, education and tribal reconciliation issues. 
Each group was made up of representatives from all of the 23 
district shuras. 
 
The Working Groups' Conclusions 
------------------------------- 
¶3. (U) The working groups' solutions centered on a few key 
themes.  First, provincial leaders recognized the dearth of 
educated and professional staff at all levels of government, 
particularly the health, education and security sectors. 
Leaders called on the GIRoA to recruit and post teachers to 
Paktika.  They requested that the ministries adopt a more 
flexible approach when recruiting people to work in the 
province and suggested both financial incentives and the 
provision of secure housing as key recruitment tools. 
Second, participants focused on the need to delegate 
financing for development projects to the ministries' line 
directors in Sharana as a way to control the types of 
projects funded and the selection of contractors.  The shura 
agreed that contracting local communities for the building of 
smaller projects was the preferred approach.  Finally, 
leaders agreed that the district shuras should bear 
additional responsibilities for the recruitment of Afghan 
National Security Forces, the protection of construction and 
development projects, and the provision of labor and 
materials to contribute to the future of the province. 
 
¶4. (U) On the final day of the shura, each working group 
presented its findings to a plenary session of about 600 
people. Key conclusions will be presented to the relevant 
ministries.  Governor Khpalwak opened the final session with 
a rousing speech in which he minced no words in expressing 
his frustration over the failure of the central government to 
support his province.  He specifically singled out the 
Ministry of Health for failing to remove JACK, a local NGO 
operating one-third of the clinics in the province and whose 
performance has consistently been rated as poor by local 
officials. 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT:  The shura demonstrated that Governor 
Khpalwak enjoys broad support from both district leaders and 
all of Paktika's tribes.  It also showed that local shuras 
are prepared to assume a greater role in the security and 
development of the province if the central government does 
its part by providing financial resources and expertise. 
Shuras of this type are a tradition in the Pashtun areas, 
and, as this "super shura" demonstrated, can be an effective 
means to achieve consensus and link the people to the 
district, provincial and national government. 
WOOD