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Viewing cable 09KABUL1930, AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH SECOND-TIER CANDIDATES

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09KABUL1930 2009-07-20 14:38 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Kabul
VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBUL #1930/01 2011438
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201438Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0246
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS KABUL 001930 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL AF
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH SECOND-TIER CANDIDATES 
 
REF: A. KABUL 1747 
     B. KABUL 1899 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  On July 15, Ambassador Eikenberry hosted 
second-tier presidential candidates Sayed Jalal Karim, 
Ferozan Fana and Dr. Mohammed Nasir Aniss for lunch to 
publicly demonstrate US active impartiality and to hear their 
private views on the state of the presidential campaign.  The 
candidates all spoke out against President Karzai and 
opposition candidate Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, claiming that the 
two major candidates' dominance in the campaign process 
biased the race against themselves.  Each candidate asserted 
their own strength in the race and some opined that they 
would face Karzai in the second round.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (U) After a media photo opportunity of the Ambassador 
with the three candidates, which ran that evening and the 
next day in several outlets, the Ambassador began by 
emphasizing the U.S. commitment to secure, credible and 
inclusive elections and stressing the international 
community's interest in the campaign as a period to permit a 
debate of ideas, not negotiation of political deals.  He 
noted that the robustness of the debate will impact the 
public perception of the elections' credibility.  The 
Ambassador stated the U.S. has particular interest in 
candidates' platforms since we are committed to a long-term 
partnership with Afghanistan; to work together, we must know 
the goals we aim to achieve. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
Sayed Jalal - Good Ideas, But Local Traction Uncertain 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
3.  (SBU) Persian Gulf-based businessman Jalal asserted the 
international community's substantial investment in 
Afghanistan should have been used better by Karzai's 
administration to support democracy.  He described a future 
Afghanistan sufficiently developed to allow the withdrawal of 
international military forces and the defeat of terrorism. 
He asserted that terrorism was not indigenous to Afghanistan 
but imposed on the country by external forces, and reported 
to have negotiated successfully with second-tier Taliban 
leaders in some areas to gain their commitment not to act 
against the elections. 
 
4.  (U) Jalal reiterated previous themes (ref A) that the 
government must improve education and public services.  He 
supported a market economy, but felt that Afghanistan would 
need a transitional system that would provide greater support 
to the poor.  He alluded to, but did not expand on, the need 
to cut off terrorist funding and advocated utilizing 
progressive mullahs to connect with the people to enlist 
support. 
 
5.  (U) Jalal said he had visited Laghman and Nangarhar where 
he said that he met between 3,000 and 6,000 supporters; he 
stated his intention of visiting 10 additional provinces.  To 
promote his campaign, Jalal reported spending five hours each 
day "out in the street," meeting people, explaining his 
ideas, recruiting voters and promoting participation in the 
elections.  He placed himself in the ranks of the "top" 
candidates with Karzai and Abdullah, based on informal 
polling his campaign has conducted on an ad-hoc basis. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Fana - Complaints, Not A Platform 
----------------------------------- 
 
6.  (SBU) Fana, widow of an Aviation Minister assassinated in 
2003, complained about Karzai, other candidates, and the 
difficulties of campaigning.  She maintained she had driven 
to Jalalabad on July 14 to campaign at great personal risk 
after being denied transportation from the Ministry of 
Defense.  She then reluctantly admitted to having traveled in 
an armored vehicle provided to her by MOI - loaned by the USG 
- but quickly returned to allegations of MOI bias against her 
campaign.  She claimed that while weak in media exposure she 
had a "connection with the people," and that Afghanistan, 
frankly, needs a woman in charge. 
 
7.   (SBU) Asked to explain her platform, Fana offered the 
goals of maintaining security, economic growth and improving 
education with an emphasis on opportunities for women with no 
further elaboration.  When away from the other candidates, 
Fana asserted to Ambassador Carney that even with extensive 
funding, neither Jalal nor Aniss were serious contenders. 
She claimed that with additional funding, she could win the 
election due to strong support from her campaign and inquired 
about possible "international community funding."  Ambassador 
Carney reiterated that the United States neither supports nor 
opposes any candidate and that direct foreign funding for 
candidates is illegal under Afghan law. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Aniss - Afghans Are Looking for a Leader 
---------------------------------------- 
 
8.  (U) Pediatrician Dr. Mohammed Nasir Aniss asserted that 
the Afghan people are dissatisfied with the government's 
performance and the situation in the country and want a 
smart, Muslim leader with a national view.  He believed 
Afghanistan suffered from a lack of leadership, and that 
government officials failed in their role of providing 
guidance and feedback to the international community.  He 
proposed the need to bring together an educated team of 
technical experts to create synergy for progress.  He broke 
with previous assertions about his own candidacy - that he 
was running due to the demand of his supporters (ref B) - and 
noted that he was engaged in ongoing discussions with other 
candidates to bring together the best elements of platform 
and personality.  If this could be achieved, Aniss said a 
number of presidential candidates would drop out of the race 
and rally behind a single candidate who would represent the 
unified platform.  Reports of the initial meetings of this 
potential coalition were echoed recently in the local press. 
 
9.  (U) Aniss promoted the ideas of reconciliation, economic 
development, strong anti-narcotics policies, increased female 
participation in government and strategic communication with 
the Afghan people to rebuild cultural awareness.  He 
supported building small industry, developing Afghanistan's 
natural resources, and increasing regional trade.  He 
believed the government needed greater connection with the 
people and better understanding of their needs, but did not 
propose concrete plans on how to create that connection. 
 
---------------- 
Process Concerns 
---------------- 
 
10.  (SBU) All three candidates had many complaints about the 
campaign process.  Jalal returned to the theme that the 
electoral regulations that prohibit candidates from using 
public buildings - such as mosques and schools - to campaign 
prevented most candidates from communicating their platforms. 
 The cost of ad time on public media - around USD 600 per 
minute - was repeatedly raised as prohibitive to candidate 
access.  Ambassador Carney explained that we have been 
working with local media outlets, the Electoral Media 
Commission and UNDP to review additional mechanisms for 
providing candidates airtime on an equitable basis, and 
believe many media outlets exist for candidates with small 
organizations and low funds. 
 
11.  (SBU) The candidates were concerned about campaign 
finance spending and irregularities - particularly for Karzai 
and Abdullah.  The three agreed among themselves that given 
the short time until the election, there was no potential 
gain from filing complaints with the Electoral Complaints 
Commission.  Awareness is a problem for such overstretched 
campaigns.  Two of the candidates said they were unaware of 
an ECC briefing for presidential candidates later the same 
day.  Follow up with the ECC confirmed that the candidates' 
campaigns were notified of the event, but local sources 
report that Fana's campaign team imploded a few days before 
the meeting. 
EIKENBERRY