VZCZCXRO6868
PP RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #1563 1690524
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180524Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9552
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 0116

UNCLAS KABUL 001563 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: GHANI CRITICIZES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR SLOW 
ACTION ON ELECTIONS SUPPORT 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani told PolCouns 
in a June 16 meeting that he was prepared to harshly 
criticize the international community and USG for what he saw 
as a "curiously unengaged" posture on the presidential 
election.  Ghani complained that the IC had not delivered on 
promises to address media access and transportation issues 
for opposition candidates before the official start of the 
campaign.  Ghani requested more forceful public statements 
from the US on its neutrality in the election, and direct 
rejections of reported efforts by Karzai to claim US support 
for his campaign.  PolCouns told Ghani the US would be 
increasing its visibility and voice in these very areas, 
continuing to engage heavily with all candidates, and 
declaring publicly the US commitment to a credible, secure, 
and inclusive election. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  On the first day of official campaigning, Ghani 
himself took a curious approach to voter outreach, granting 
an interview with CNN and authoring an op-ed column for 
international papers.  Ghani added that he would soon publish 
his 335-page campaign manifesto, written in English, but 
recently translated into Dari and Pashto.  Ghani promised to 
run an issues-based campaign, with particular focus on 
individual issues every 10 days.  He will begin with 
corruption, highlighting the government's inability to 
account for missing customs revenue.  Employment, housing, 
and security will follow as the campaign progresses.  First 
VP running mate Ayub Rafiqi, a relative unknown in Afghan 
politics, will take the lead on agricultural issues.  Ghani 
hoped to win public endorsements from a collection of small 
democratic parties within the next few weeks, as well as 
collect support from minor presidential candidates as they 
withdraw from the race.  Ghani had purposefully decided not 
to criticize Abdullah Abdullah -- "he is not our opponent" -- 
and revealed that he has maintained indirect contacts with 
the Abdullah campaign to keep future options open. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Ghani vowed to follow up his charges of Karzai 
supporters' interference in the election with complaints to 
the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), but insisted the 
IC support solid investigations and repercussions for those 
found to have violated election laws.  "We will lose 
credibility and Afghans will devalue their votes if we take 
cases to the ECC with no outcomes," he said.   Ghani will 
also ask the World Bank and Asia Foundation to drop their 
commitments to fund key Palace staffers' salaries, including 
Chief of Staff Daudzai, until those staffers can clearly show 
they are not illegally engaged in election activities. 
EIKENBERRY