VZCZCXRO0604
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #0400 0550406
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240406Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7480
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS KABUL 000400 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV AF
SUBJECT: UNITED FRONT: KARZAI MUST STEP DOWN AFTER MAY 22 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  United Front (UF) spokesman Sayed 
Sancharaki said President Karzai must step down after the 
5/22 expiration of his term, but promised UF leaders will 
temper their public comments so as not to destabilize the 
country. 
 
Hard Line, But Tempered Tone 
----------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) In a 2/23 conversation with PolOff, Sancharaki said 
the UF remained adamant in its belief that Karzai could not 
be trusted to remain in office in the lead up to the 
election.  However, the UF recognized the importance of 
protecting the 8/20 election date and not throwing the 
government into chaos during the peak fighting season in the 
summer.  Pushing Karzai too hard on presidential continuity 
may lead the president to call earlier elections or use a 
Loya Jirga to form the next government, two options UF 
leaders know favor Karzai. 
 
¶3.    (SBU) Sancharaki agreed that a resolution of the 
executive authority issue required Afghan political leaders 
to work together to find a consensus political solution. 
PolOff explained that the U.S. advocated no specific outcome, 
but insisted the eventual solution preserve the 8/20 
election, maintain a strong government during the peak 
fighting season, and support the authority and goals of the 
Constitution.  Those who resisted a sensible solution to the 
problem could face repercussions from voters in the election 
or in their future relations with the United States.  "We 
will have a united effort to solve the problem," Sancharaki 
agreed.  "We don't want individuals' selfish actions to 
strengthen the Taliban." 
 
¶4.    (SBU) UF leaders have proposed to other political 
leaders that Parliament and the Supreme Court jointly govern 
the country from 5/22 until the inauguration.  Deputy 
ministers and selected holdovers from the current Cabinet 
would head the ministries during this interim period.  PolOff 
stressed the importance of including Karzai in any 
negotiations over the future of executive authority. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Sancharaki said UF leaders had nearly reached an 
agreement with Karzai on a unity government six weeks ago. 
The UF dropped the initiative when it began to suspect Karzai 
was using the talks to fracture his opposition and not to 
heal the country's divisions.  Since then, the UF has focused 
its efforts on uniting other opposition parties.  Like most 
other parties, the UF would accept Karzai staying in office 
after 5/22 only if he did not stand for re-election. 
Sancharaki admitted this position signaled the real issue for 
Karzai's opponents was not constitutional, but preventing 
Karzai from using government agencies to aid his campaign. 
 
¶6.    (SBU) Sancharaki recognized the UF should encourage a 
reasoned discussion of the various proposals for presidential 
continuity.  Heated dialogue would poison the political 
atmosphere and could dissuade some groups from joining a 
consensus.  During the Lower House of Parliament's debate on 
the issue that same day, UF member and Lower House Speaker 
Yunus Qanooni advised other MPs to stop repeating statements 
to the media calling into question Karzai's legitimacy. 
Everyone's positions have been clear for some time and it was 
now time to find solutions, Qanooni said. 
DELL