VZCZCXRO6875
OO RUEHBW RUEHIK RUEHPW RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #1210 1381404
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 171404Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3934
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 KABUL 001210 
 
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: PREL PGOV AF KDEM
SUBJECT: ELECTIONS UPDATE 
 
¶1. (SBU) Although Karzai and the opposition United Front 
agreed April 9 to separate presidential and parliamentary 
elections, the National Assembly's lower house has yet to 
pass the elections law, which would provide the necessary 
legal basis for an elections calendar.  The National Assembly 
recesses from June 4 until July 21.  We continue 
to press the lower house leadership to pass the elections law 
prior to its recess.  The Independent Election Commission 
(IEC) has begun planning for mid-August 2009 
presidential elections, which would allow for a run-off, if 
necessary, before winter weather.  The IEC has set, rather 
vaguely, summer 2010 as the window for National Assembly 
and district council elections. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Next to passage of the elections law, voter 
registration is the most pressing elections preparation 
challenge.  A struggling UNDP has not yet released a donor 
support request to fund registration.  UNDP tells us it plans 
to augment its elections support staff.  The IEC hopes to 
register voters in the northern half of the country from 
August 1 to September 30 and, in the southern provinces, from 
October 1 to November 30.  The Policy 
Action Group's (PAG) Security Operations Group approved this 
schedule on May 3.  That decision will have to be endorsed by 
the president.  Karzai may worry that inadequate security in 
the south would deny his Pashtun base sufficient opportunity 
to register. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Karzai appointed May 15 five new commissioners to 
the seven-person IEC board.  The commissioners' mandates had 
expired January 18 and their lack of legitimacy threatened to 
undermine the IEC's authority.  We are watching the National 
Assembly to see if it will assert a right of review over 
Karzai's IEC appointments, which might distract them from 
elections planning and preparations. 
WOOD