VZCZCXRO0679
OO RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #0154 0201319
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 201319Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6943
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS KABUL 000154 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
KABUL FOR COS USFOR-A 
STATE FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, S/CRS 
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE, AID/DCHA/DG 
NSC FOR JWOOD 
OSD FOR MCGRAW 
CG CJTF-101, POLAD, JICCENT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV AF
SUBJECT: PHASE 4 VOTER REGISTRATION IMPERFECT BUT UNDERWAY 
 
REF: KABUL 0132 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Phase 4 of the voter registration update opened 
largely on schedule on January 20 in Nimroz, Kandahar, and 
Uruzgan.  A broken-down truck delayed delivery of material to 
Helmand.  According to IEC headquarters, voter registration 
operations will open as early as January 21 in six districts 
in Helmand.  REFTEL provides more details on delays in this 
province.  Two of seven sites in Nimroz, two of eleven in 
Uruzgan, and three of 35 sites in Kandahar did not open 
because materials were late. Local officials expect to open 
these sites January 21, 
 
¶2. (SBU) Despite a challenging security environment, 
Provincial Electoral Officers (PEOs) in all four provinces 
have recruited staff and set up operations.  Daoud Ali 
Najafi, the IEC's Chief Technical Officer, confirmed that all 
districts in Kandahar province are operating or will operate 
voter registration sites, even the troubled district of Nesh, 
where other government representatives do not operate.  As 
noted REFTEL, as many as five districts in Helmand may or may 
not open due to security concerns. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Cooperation between Afghan security forces and 
electoral officials has been good.  The Afghan National 
Police deployed a general to each province specifically to 
assist in coordinating voter registration security.  All 
materials traveled by road with Afghan National Police and 
Afghan National Army security escorts.  In Uruzgan, Helmand, 
and Kandahar, provincial electoral officials have arranged to 
liaise with the police and army at the provincial security 
coordination centers; these centers also have an 
international liaison officer present. The Afghan National 
Army (ANA) has no presence in Nimroz, but regional-level 
officers have planned for an ANA quick reaction force to 
support the police. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The Governors of Uruzgan, Nimroz, and Helmand 
(REFTEL) held public events to encourage voter participation. 
 In Nimroz, Governor Ghulam Dastagir led an opening day 
ceremony at the IEC's provincial office in Zaranj, backed by 
the provincial chief of police.  The governor of Uruzgan held 
a similar event. 
WOOD