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Viewing cable 09KABUL1186, CANDIDATE REGISTRATION REFLECTS PUBLIC OPINION

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09KABUL1186 2009-05-08 11:36 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Kabul
VZCZCXRO9652
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #1186/01 1281136
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081136Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8798
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0036
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001186 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV AF
SUBJECT: CANDIDATE REGISTRATION REFLECTS PUBLIC OPINION 
 
REF: KABUL 1111 
 
1.  (U) On May 8 at 5:00 p.m. (local time), the two-week 
candidate registration period for the August 2009 
presidential and provincial council elections will close.  As 
the Independent Election Commission (IEC) compiles the 
registration data, a strong preliminary trend speaks to poor 
public opinion of provincial councils (PC).  In 2005, 3201 
Afghans came forward as candidates for the 420 provincial 
council seats available nationwide.  With one day left in the 
registration period, only 1725 individuals are standing as 
candidates for the same number of seats - just 53 percent of 
the 2005 total.  In contrast, the percentage of female 
candidates has remained steady with a three percent increase 
since 2005.  Currently, 11 percent of all registered 
candidates (178) are women, and every province has at least 
one female candidate.  The fall in numbers of female 
candidates is lower than that of male candidates - 38 percent 
vs. 47 percent. 
 
EVEN GOOD ADVERTISING... 
------------------------- 
 
2.  (U) The electoral law reserves 25 percent of provincial 
council positions - 124 seats - for women.  Based on a 
perception of low female turnout at the beginning of 
candidate registration, the IEC, Afghan civil society and the 
international community worked to encourage potential female 
candidates.  The IEC formed outreach teams who engaged with 
political parties, civil society, female MPs and Afghan 
government institutions such as the Ministry of Women's 
Affairs, the Ministry of the Hajj and the Independent 
Directorate of Local Governance.   The IEC called on this 
diverse group of organizations to activate traditional 
networks at the provincial and district level to encourage 
women to register as candidates, spreading the word 
everywhere from mosques to civil society networks. 
 
3.  (U) To support the IEC's efforts, the Embassy worked with 
local media outlets to encourage hosting programs that would 
raise female registration.  While at the IEC, Charge 
d'Affaires Ricciardone spoke to the press about the 
importance of ensuring female candidates participate in the 
electoral process.  The Embassy funded production of radio 
public service announcements (PSA) in Dari and Pashto, 
providing a vehicle for IEC officials and religious leaders 
to encourage female candidates.  The IEC organized funding 
from The Asia Foundation for additional airtime and ISAF 
agreed to run the PSAs on its radio network, enabling release 
to a broader audience than permitted by the initial 
funding. 
 
 
CAN'T SELL A BAD PRODUCT 
------------------------- 
 
4.  (SBU) In an April 30 meeting, Lower House MP Qadria 
Yasdanparast (Kabul, Tajik) asserted security was the biggest 
obstacle for potential female candidates and expressed the 
intent to try to mobilize women through her networks (ref A). 
 On May 6, Yasdanparast told poloff she had been unable to 
rouse interest in potential PC candidates.  Yasdanparast 
cited low opinion of PCs as an institution - poor track 
records, undefined mandates, lack of influence, low salary 
and lack of a set workplace - as the main disincentives she'd 
heard. 
 
5.  (SBU) PRT officers heard similar opinions.  Some 
incumbents reported feeling that they had accomplished little 
during their tenure and were unable to fulfill promises to 
constituents.  Other incumbents and potential candidates 
cited an interest in running in the 2010 parliamentary 
elections - with a higher profile and more influence - as the 
reason to stand down from PCs.  IEC officials suggested the 
surfeit of candidates for the 2005 PC elections reflected the 
lack of information available at that time about how PCs 
would function.  Given PCs' generally poor track records for 
effectiveness, vague mandate and little influence, potential 
politicians would rather try for seats in the national 
parliament. 
 
EVOLVING INFORMATION LEADS TO CONFUSION 
--------------------------------------- 
 
6.  (SBU) Although the IEC has provided regular updates, 
ongoing registration has resulted in constantly changing 
candidate numbers leading some to reach premature 
conclusions.  The IEC's candidate registration system 
populates the Kabul database from provincial entries, but 
technical difficulties create inconsistencies.  For example, 
one Provincial Election Office (PEO) sent a stack of 
 
KABUL 00001186  002 OF 002 
 
 
candidate registration packets to Kabul by air when a 
computer broke down.  Afghan women's groups have suggested 
security is the biggest concern for women, yet Kandahar and 
Helmand Provinces have equal or higher percentages of female 
candidates as Parwan, Bamyan and Kabul.  The increased 
percentage of female candidates also belies claims that the 
4,000 Afghani registration fee (about USD 80) or 200 
signatures of support created a barrier to participation. 
IEC officials are not extending candidate registration - a 
decision which would create problems for candidate vetting 
and the procurement process.  When registration closes on May 
8, there will undoubtedly be fewer candidates than there were 
in 2005, but it should also show greater participation by 
women. 
RICCIARDONE