VZCZCXRO5436
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #1848 1940828
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130828Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0123
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS KABUL 001848 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL AF
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR TO ECC: ON THE FRONTLINES OF ELECTION 
CREDIBILITY 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: On July 2, Ambassador Eikenberry and 
Ambassador Carney visited the Electoral Complaints Commission 
(ECC) and met with Chairman Grant Kippen and national 
commissioners Fahim Hakim and Maulawi Mustafa Barakzai.  The 
Ambassador toured the ECC's Kabul headquarters and the 
co-located Kabul regional office and met international and 
Afghan ECC staff.  In a private meeting with the 
commissioners, the Ambassador discussed the delayed set-up of 
ECC provincial offices, the importance of the ECC's mandate 
and the future of the institution. End Summary 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Awaiting an Office, Creating a Presence 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Kippen explained the many difficulties that the ECC 
had faced during set-up due to delays in the UNDP procurement 
process, but believed that a solution was underway in finding 
locations for provincial offices.  He thanked the Ambassador 
for his responsiveness on this issue.  The ECC has agreed to 
co-locate with UNAMA in six provinces and with the Afghan 
Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in an additional 
five.  The ECC has now signed contracts for all but five 
provincial offices. 
 
¶3.  (U) To offset the delayed set-up, the ECC is encouraging 
its provincial staff to engage with the community to 
establish its presence.  Kippen said that while the ECC is 
maintaining a distance from the PRTs to demonstrate 
impartiality and independence, it welcomes information on 
fraud or electoral violations.  The ECC plans to have 
provincial offices operational by the third week of July, 
which will allow for a second round of training before surge 
of complaints expected in the build-up to and aftermath of 
election day. 
 
--------------------------- 
Explaining the ECC Mission 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The ECC has established a complaint management 
database and will publish information on its website for 
transparency.  To assist provincial staff, the ECC created an 
extensive handbook to assist with accepting complaints and 
conducting investigations.  The ECC also plans to host an 
event for candidates to improve their understanding of the 
complaints process, highlighting the limited scope of the 
ECC's mandate and the standard of requiring evidence - not 
rumor - as the basis of complaints.  As of the time of the 
meeting, the commissioners noted that the ECC had received 
over 60 complaints against provincial council candidates, but 
had not yet received complaints against presidential 
candidates.  It has since received complaints from at least 
one presidential campaign (Ghani). 
 
---------------------- 
The Future of the ECC 
---------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) The Ambassador commended the commissioners for their 
work on the front lines of the credibility for the elections. 
 Hakim noted the ECC's plans for the national commissioners 
to engage with media and visit provincial offices to raise 
awareness of the ECC mission.  Barakzai thanked the 
Ambassador for his support for a fair, transparent and just 
election process, noting that an election must reflect the 
will of the people and cannot impose an unwelcome result. 
 
¶6.  (U) The Ambassador asked the commissioners for their 
vision of the future of the ECC and if the international 
composition weakened the institution.  Barakzai believed that 
the international commissioners strengthened the ECC by 
providing additional capacity and helping the national 
commissioners withstand external pressures and influence. 
Kippen noted that while the ECC has three international and 
two national commissioners, the electoral law requires one 
national commissioner for quorum.   Barakzai and Hakim 
concurred that a strengthened justice sector and court system 
could eventually fill the ECC's role.  Until then, the ECC 
would continue providing a key electoral safeguard. 
EIKENBERRY