VZCZCXRO2244
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHIHL #0020/01 0611558
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 011558Z MAR 08
FM REO HILLAH
TO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0897
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1038
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHIHL/REO HILLAH 1101

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HILLAH 000020 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPRNET 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  3/1/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: DIWANIYAH COR MEMBER LAMENTS EXCESSIVE MINISTERIAL POWER; 
CAUTIONS ELECTION FRAUD 
 
HILLAH 00000020  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Angus T. Simmons, Team Leader, PRT Najaf, 
Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
This is a PRT Reporting Cable. 
 
¶1.  (C )  Summary:  On February 25, Hussein Al-Shalan, a Council 
of Representative member from Diwaniyah Province, discussed with 
PRT Offs his concerns about the negative impact levied on Iraq 
by "murderous centralization" and an extreme, partisan focus by 
the ministries in the performance of their duties.   Al-Shalan 
blames budget execution difficulties on ministries withholding 
funds to undermine opposing political parties in the 
governorates.  He calls for the scientific application of 
government by managers rather than party whips.  Al-Shalan also 
expresses his concern about dire consequences of likely election 
fraud by the powerful political parties and asks that the US 
"work tirelessly" to assure fair provincial elections. End 
Summary. 
 
 ¶2.  (C )  Diwaniyah Council of Representative Member Hussein 
Al-Shalan met with Team Leader and PRToffs at the REO for a 
general discussion on February 25.  Al-Shalan is concerned about 
over centralization from Baghdad, and possible election fraud. 
 
 ¶3.  (C)  Al-Shalan criticizes the national government for 
"murderous centralization" and for being "foolishly" controlled 
by excessive party alliances.  He calls for the scientific 
application of government by managers rather than political 
hacks.  (Note: This view was recently expressed to PRToffs by 
the head of the Karbala Women's Center, a view she says people 
in the street are attributing to Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani; it 
would be better to see Iraq ruled by a fair secularist than a 
Muslim tyrant.)  Budget execution, he says, is retarded by 
ministers withholding funds from departments and governorates 
solely to advance national party power.  The negative 
consequences, he complains, fall upon the people in the streets. 
  The GOI funds, he says, are as a result of the powerful, party 
dominated ministers distributed not to benefit the people but to 
forge party loyalty and assert political domination. 
 
¶4.  (C) Al-Shalan blames a rush to federalism for harmful turf 
wars between partisan officials at the national and provincial 
levels.  He asserts that Iraqis lack sufficient commitment to 
the concept of a nation and that successful federalism requires 
that the many parts appreciate the importance of the whole.  As 
an example, he points to a dispute between the Iraqi Minister of 
Education and the Diwaniyah Provincial government.   The 
Provincial Government, he says, requested the removal of the 
Director General (DG) of Education to allow for the installation 
of a party loyalist.  Al-Shalan reports that the standoff 
between the Ministry and the Province has led the Ministry to 
withhold funding for education projects in Diwaniyah.  It was 
suggested to Al-Shalan that the fault appears to be in part the 
Ministry's disregard for the COR budget allocations rather than 
an inherent deficiency in the federal system as the DG can 
properly stand firm against the province on an issue of federal 
personnel without extracting financial retribution from the 
citizens.  Al-Shalan agrees but reports the COR lacks political 
ability to challenge the powerful ministry.  He reports similar 
problems in Diwaniyah with the Ministry of Health. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Al-Shalan expressed concerns about anticipated fraud in 
the 2008 provincial elections.  The sheikh reports that ISCI is 
very concerned that it will not be able to control the IHEC. 
Based on his experience in the 2005 elections, where he claims 
he passed video taped evidence of fraud to the coalition 
authorities, he predicts that ISCI and other parties will resort 
to massive fraud to assure their electoral success. He believes 
that if the election process is fair that perception will 
contribute significantly to the stability of Iraq.  On the other 
hand, he warns, electoral fraud on the scale he claims existed 
in the past election will unleash a public reaction that "U.S. 
forces will not be able to resolve."  The U.S. must "work 
tirelessly" he believes to assure fair elections in Iraq.  He 
also wants the U.S. to assist in voter education.  PRToffs 
responded by noting that this is an Iraqi run election, not a 
U.S. run election, but the U.S. is available to provide certain 
assistance as requested by the Iraqi government to support the 
Iraqis and the UN in the UN's role as election monitor. 
Election fraud was widespread he claims in the last election but 
did not lead to more intense public reaction because most people 
saw the importance of unity.  This time around, Al-Shalan 
believes, the intense popular dissatisfaction with the existing 
government will result in the people being less accepting of 
election fraud. 
 
 
HILLAH 00000020  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶6.  (C) Asked about the anticipated elections law, Al-Shalan 
states that he does not know if the law will provide for open or 
closed lists.   (He has not yet seen a version of the GOI 
draft.)  He says he and most Iraqis support open lists but 
states the opposition to open lists includes ISCI, Dawa, and the 
Kurds. 
 
¶7.  (C )  Comment:  The CoR Member's comments are focused on his 
concern that excessive control by powerful political parties can 
undermine two key initiatives for 2008: budget execution and 
fair elections.  Budget execution can be distorted by the 
ministries' de facto, absolute discretion with regard to the 
budget allocation made to their ministries by the COR; the 
political parties are, through their absolute control of the 
various ministries, able to undo the hard fought political 
consensus reached by the legislative body. End Comment. 
SIMMONS