VZCZCXRO4863
OO RUEHBW RUEHIK RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #1102/01 1251623
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041623Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3790
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KABUL 001102 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR WOOD 
OSD FOR SHIVERS 
CENTCOM FOR CG CJTF-101 POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV AF
SUBJECT: DECENTRALIZATION UNITES THE UNITED FRONT 
 
¶1. (SBU) Mustafa Zahir, grandson of deceased King Zahir Shah 
and aspiring United Front presidential candidate, recently 
shared with us a stump speech he drafted, which proposes 
replacing the current highly centralized state, organized 
around a strong presidency, with a decentralized governmental 
structure that vests ultimate authority in a greatly 
empowered parliament (See par 4 below for text.).  Though 
Zahir's speech outlines a staged, protracted transition to 
"parliamentary democracy" and attempts to cloak its radical 
purpose with several references to "amendments" to the 
constitution, he is advocating nothing less than abandonment 
of the 2004 Constitution of Afghanistan. 
 
¶2. (SBU) United Front co-founder Mohammad Yunus Qanuni's 
chief-of-staff, Haji Ibrahim, strongly supports Zahir's 
proposal.  He praised it both for its goal of a decentralized 
government and for the perceived practicality of the 
prescribed transition from the current state structure. 
National Assembly MP and United Front supporter Shakar Kargar 
(Uzbek, Faryab) hedged.  Though he strongly advocates 
decentralization of the state, he believes the international 
community would be reluctant to underwrite a new 
constitutional drafting exercise. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The United Front is an ethnically disparate 
political bloc that may break apart long before the 2009 
elections.  It is searching for a compelling message around 
which its feud-prone leadership board can unite.  Though 
Mustafa Zahir seems unlikely, at this stage, to become the 
bloc's presidential candidate, his rather lengthy 
articulation of a path to a decentralized governmental 
structure may begin to rally those Afghans who want to 
forestall forever a return to Pashtun hegemony. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Begin Text of Mustafa Zahir's draft speech, which 
was received in English: 
 
"Peace Initiative of Mostapha Zaher for Comprehensive 
Political Settlement of Afghan Conflict" 
 
In the name of God, the merciful, the beneficent... 
 
My Beloved Compatriot, Sisters and Brothers, 
 
As we all know, about six years elapse since the Bonn 
Agreement, which was concluded by the representatives of 
different Afghan groups in Germany. The provisions of this 
Agreement raised great hopes and expectations amongst the 
Afghan people and the international community to end the war 
in Afghanistan, and to rebuild our country long ravaged by 
war and devastation. However, a sincere review of the 
developments since then clearly reveal that not only have 
those hopes and expectations remained immaterialized, but the 
political, the security, the social and the economic 
situations are further deteriorating throughout the country. 
Such a dangerous trend of developments, regrettably, show 
that violence and insurgency are on the rise; the confidence 
of the people at home and abroad for a peaceful tomorrow is 
falling apart; and the resolve of the international community 
to help us out in the rebuilding of our country is 
increasingly weakening. 
 
I am sure we all understand well that the enumeration of 
specific factors responsible for such failures, or for this 
matter, finger pointing to this or that individual, 
institution, party or group, is quite unfavorable and 
counter-productive attitude in our culture of Afghan dialogue 
and interaction. I therefore, would like to knowingly avoid 
such a destructive attitude, and would rather invite your 
attention to the real issues - - the most crucial issues that 
really matters for the present and the future of our beloved 
homeland, for the region, and for the international community 
at large. Those vital issues are the key issues of durable 
peace and rebuilding in Afghanistan - - the issues that we 
need to address collectively and comprehensively, with a 
great sense of responsibility, a true spirit of patriotism 
and urgency, before it is too late. Otherwise, the increasing 
 
KABUL 00001102  002 OF 004 
 
 
flames of the ongoing fire, God forbid, will not only engulf 
our country and the entire region, but it may easily lead to 
a catastrophic global crisis of an unprecedented nature and 
scale. I can not emphasize more here that it is high time to 
act peacefully and politically - - to act now - - and to act 
responsibly, in unison and collectively, before it is too 
late. 
 
It is in view of these vital concerns and grave 
responsibilities that I with a great respect to the free will 
and supreme interests of the Afghan nation, with due 
attention to the precarious situation at home and the 
disturbing developments in our neighborhood, being mindful of 
the catastrophic impact that such a dangerous trend of 
developments could have on the further aggravation of the 
situation in Afghanistan and in the region, urge your 
immediate attention to a peace process that I have sought for 
a comprehensive, realistic and practical settlement of the 
ongoing Afghan conflict. 
 
The peace process that I propose has several stages involving 
some peaceful, political, constitutional and Afghanistan-wide 
(nation-wide) inter-Afghan interactions. This process begins 
with the launching of a practical mechanism for the 
initiation of a truly inclusive and all-encompassing 
inter-Afghan dialogue and ends with the formation of a 
broad-based and fully representative government of national 
unity in Afghanistan - - a democratic and elected government 
that is seen as legitimate and acceptable to the Afghan 
people and credible by the international community, who are 
still ready and willing to help our people in achieving a 
durable peace and the rebuilding of our country.  With all 
due respect to the Islamic, national and traditional values 
of the people of Afghanistan and those of the standard, 
modern and universal elements in conflict resolution, my 
proposed peace process for a comprehensive, peaceful and 
political settlement of the Afghan conflict, involves the 
following phases: 
 
¶I. Alliance for Peace and Reconstruction of Afghanistan 
 
Formation of an "Alliance for Peace and Reconstruction of 
Afghanistan" as a nation-wide mechanism for the launching of 
a truly inclusive and Afghanistan-wide inter-Afghan dialogue, 
encompassing all segments of Afghan society, the government, 
the opposition parties and groups, the armed or unarmed 
individuals and formations. The prime mission of this 
Alliance would be to secure a nation-wide understanding and 
consensus of the Afghan people, aimed at mobilizing their 
active support, in unison and harmony with the international 
community, towards peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan. 
This Alliance, composed of credible, effective and eminent 
representatives of the Afghan nation, including the local 
chieftains and elderly, religious scholars, tribal leaders, 
the crippled and handicaps, former Jihad commanders, nomads, 
refugees and intellectuals, shall then, in an atmosphere of 
full trust, Afghan-hood and close cooperation, formulate a 
comprehensive plan for the convocation of a well-organized 
Permanent Loya Jirga of the Afghan people, to lead our 
country during a transition period of recovery from war to 
peace and reconstruction, following the end of the mandate of 
the current Government. While drawing this plan of action, it 
would be very essential for the Alliance to discuss and agree 
upon the most vital issues that the Permanent Loya Jirga 
should address in its deliberations and decision making 
processes, including the necessary amendments to the 
Constitution of Afghanistan - - the kind of amendments that 
would allow the establishment of a parliamentary democracy in 
our homeland; the formation of a truly inclusive, fully 
representative and decentralized organs of governments at the 
central, provincial and local levels. 
 
Once the Alliance, based upon the principals of a nation-wide 
(Afghanistan-wide) dialogue, reaches a full understanding and 
a consensus with regard to all of the vital issues 
highlighted above, then the plan for the convocation of a 
well-organized Permanent Loya Jirga of the Afghan people 
 
KABUL 00001102  003 OF 004 
 
 
shall be launched as the second phase of my proposed peace 
process. 
 
II. Convocation of a Permanent Loya Jirga 
 
With all due respect to the results and conclusions of the 
inclusive and Afghanistan-wide inter-Afghan dialogue, to be 
produced in the form of a nation-wide consensus and as part 
of the first phase of my proposed peace process; with due 
respect to the Article 64 of the Constitution of Afghanistan, 
a truly representative and Permanent Loya Jirga of the Afghan 
people shall be convened to lead Afghanistan during a 
transition period of recovery from war to peace and the 
rebuilding of our country. This Permanent Loya Jirga shall 
freely discuss and decide upon the following major issues: 
 
1) The need for the formation of Interim Institutions to 
govern Afghanistan after the end of the mandate of the 
current Government; 
2) An orderly transfer of powers from the current legislative 
bodies of Afghanistan to a Permanent Loya Jirga of the Afghan 
people; 
3) An orderly transfer of powers from the current Afghan 
Government to an Interim Government of National Unity; 
4) The form, the composition and the mandate of the Interim 
Government, to lead Afghanistan until such time as a 
broad-based and fully representative government that shall be 
produced through free and fair elections, is established; 
5) An orderly transfer of powers from the current judiciary 
bodies of the country to an Interim one; 
6) Review of the current Constitution of Afghanistan and the 
need for its amendment, aimed at replacing the current 
presidential system with a parliamentary democracy, and the 
establishment of a truly representative and decentralized 
forms of governance, including, executive, legislative and 
judiciary bodies at the central, provincial and district 
levels; 
7) Review of the physical, social and economic security of 
the people in Afghanistan and the effective ways and means to 
address them; 
8) The presence of the international community in 
Afghanistan, their form, their mission and their mandate in 
the country, including the UN, EU, ISAF, NATO, other 
Governmental, Inter-Governmental and Non--Governmental 
Organizations, and seeking effective ways and means to 
coordinate their efforts towards peace and reconstruction of 
Afghanistan; 
9) Review of comprehensive, alternative and rational 
solutions of short-term, medium-term and long-term nature 
that shall prevent Afghanistan from becoming an opium-based 
economy and a narco-state; 
10) Review of the effective ways and means to live in peace 
and harmony with our neighbors in the region. 
 
As already noted, the Permanent Loya Jirga of the Afghan 
people, upon its completion of a thorough and comprehensive 
review of the major issues highlighted above, and upon the 
successful accomplishment of the mandate of the Interim 
Government, shall then call for the holding of general and 
democratic elections in the country, to be supervised by the 
United Nations as the third and last stage of my proposed 
peace process. 
 
III. Holding of General and Democratic Elections 
 
With the full accomplishment of the tasks highlighted under 
the Phase I and the Phase II of my proposed peace process, 
the conditions shall be then ready for holding general, free 
and democratic elections in our beloved homeland. As a result 
of these elections, the people of Afghanistan, according to 
the provision of a new Constitution, shall vote for a 
parliamentary system; an inclusive form of legislative 
bodies; and a truly broad-based representative government 
capable of electing a new Head of State and a Prime Minister 
for the country - - a government that shall be capable of 
maintaining a nation-wide and durable peace and security in 
our homeland; and providing the required conditions for a 
 
KABUL 00001102  004 OF 004 
 
 
swifter and steadier rebuilding of Afghanistan long ravaged 
by war. Likewise, no doubt that the constructive developments 
as such in Afghanistan will help the international community 
to succeed their human mission of rescuing our region and the 
world at large from the catastrophic menace of terror, war, 
devastation and drug that presently threaten the very 
survival of the humanity on a global scale. 
 
My Beloved Compatriots, 
 
The time dictates that we should move beyond the bitterness, 
the pettiness and the anger that has consumed our country for 
almost three decades now and that has posed a great danger to 
the regional and global peace and security. In order to put 
an end to politics that is about war, division and 
confrontation, and in order to reconcile for the sake of our 
children and those of the future generations of our globe, we 
need to think about forgiveness and inclusion rather then 
hatred and exclusion; we need to build a true coalition and 
alliance for peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan. 
 
My sincere appeal to you is that my proposed peace process 
and thereby the formation of an inclusive and nation-wide 
(Afghanistan-wide) alliance will certainly allow the Afghan 
people to undergo a transition period of political, social 
and economic recovery, and to effect a smooth, a peaceful, a 
legitimate and a constitutional transformation from rivalry 
to reconciliation, from confrontation to cooperation, from 
war to peace, and from destruction to rebuilding in our 
beloved and prideful homeland. What we should focus on at 
this time is to draw lessons from our bitter past and to 
replace those bitter lessons with love brotherhood and social 
justice. 
 
The realization in practice of my proposed peace process 
shall allow our nation to develop a system of local 
self-governance, with democratically elected institutions of 
fully functioning and representative organs at all levels, 
including district, provincial and state levels, with strong 
bounds to the central government in a united and indivisible 
Afghanistan. 
 
I firmly believe that this is how we shall finally overcome 
our bitter past and this is how we shall collectively meet 
the challenges that we face as a united and indivisible 
nation - - a nation to be at peace in itself and with its 
neighbors. This is how we shall meet the challenge of 
restoring peace in our country and the challenge of 
rebuilding Afghanistan. 
 
Whilst success comes from God the Great, with maturity and 
resolve, with patience and perseverance, with the strong will 
of the Afghan people, and with the persistent help of the 
international community, we shall collectively and 
successfully meet the crucial challenges before us. 
 
God Bless You, Dear Compatriots 
 
Your Servant 
 
Mostapha Zaher 
 
End text. 
WOOD