VZCZCXRO3382
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #0521 0671040
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081040Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7648
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS KABUL 000521 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV AF
SUBJECT: MP RANJBAR ON PRESIDENTIAL CONTINUITY 
 
¶1. (SBU) Lower House MP Kabir Ranjbar (Kabul, Pashtun), one 
of the few professional lawyers in Parliament, told the 
Charge on 3/7 he believes Parliament can work with President 
Karzai to find a legal solution to the post-5/22 executive 
authority issue that both protects the 8/20 election date and 
maintains Karzai's status as president during the interim 
period between the constitutional expiration of Karzai's term 
and the inauguration of the next president.  Ranjbar asserted 
that a state of emergency, as defined in Article 143 of the 
Constitution, will provide sufficient legal cover to extend 
the president's authority after 5/22 and avoid 
extra-constitutional proposals for a caretaker government or 
Loya Jirga.  He believed Afghans would tolerate limitations 
on personal freedoms for a short time in exchange for the 
stability of a Karzai-led government through the elections. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Ranjbar said pro-democracy MPs wanted to avoid 
extra-legal options and respect the Constitution, which left 
a state of emergency as their only choice.  Upper House 
Speaker Mojaddedi had very little support among other MPs to 
serve as a caretaker leader, while a traditional Loya Jirga 
would empower unelected mujahideen over the institution of 
Parliament.  Ranjbar believed the 90-plus "democratic" MPs in 
the Lower House would be able to work with independents and 
pass a state of emergency resolution, even if Speaker Qanooni 
and the 60-70 MPs loyal to his United Front coalition tried 
to block it.  If Karzai committed himself 
to working with MPs on a state of emergency resolution, 
Ranjbar predicted the Palace and Parliament could reach an 
agreement by the end of March. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Charge told Ranjbar the U.S. welcomed support 
for the 8/20 election date and believes Karzai should remain 
president during the interim period to maintain a stronger 
central government that is better capable of resisting 
increased Taliban attacks over the summer month.  Ranjbar 
told the Charge he did not support Karzai's re-election, but 
agreed the country would be best served by a stable 
government led by the incumbent over the summer.  He said it 
was in Parliament's best interests to act in coordination 
with the president, lest Karzai turn to an extra-legal option 
that would subvert the role of Parliament. 
DELL