VZCZCXRO3574 
RR RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL 
DE RUEHBUL #2369 2280519 
ZNR UUUUU ZZH 
R 160519Z AUG 09 
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL 
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0839 
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KABUL 002369 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM 
STATE PASS TO AID FOR ASIA/SCAA 
USFOR-A FOR POLAD 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV AF
SUBJECT: NURISTAN ELECTION UPDATE 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On August 6th, community leaders and electoral 
officials from Nuristan's western valley agreed to work together to 
provide a stable, secure environment for voting, and to identify 
suitable election workers. On the same day, Provincial Electoral 
Officer (PEO) Omar Sami named his staff for Nuristan's Operation 
Coordination Centers (OCCs), where Afghan soldiers and police will 
work with Coalition Forces support, to provide election security. 
Western valley leaders expressed willingness to organize local 
militias for election security. Nuristanis' most frequent complaint 
about elections was though they wanted to vote, the lack of security 
and the province's rugged terrain meant many eligible voters could 
not register in the fall 2008 update. We will continue to work with 
the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and UNDP election advisors 
to devise a solution that promotes enfranchisement and uniform 
access to the polls, while discouraging fraud and perceptions of 
fraud. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Nuristanis cast 47,142 ballots in the 2004 presidential 
election, a fraction of the 8,128,942 total in 2004, a number so 
modest the province would be unlikely to change the outcome even in 
this year's more competitive contest. In this remote, mountainous 
province of fiercely independent minority tribes confronting 
increasing insurgent activity, Nuristan's voting day instead will be 
a marker of the inclusiveness of the electoral process, and of the 
willingness of Afghans to defy the Taliban to vote. 
 
¶3. (SBU) On August 6 the district governor of Nurgram, with 
assistance from TF Steel, hosted community representatives and 
Independent Election Commission District Field Coordinators (DFCs) 
from Nurgram, Dow Ab, and Mandol, the three districts of Nuristan's 
western valley. Nurgram district governor Mohammed Ali opened the 
shura by saying, "Successful elections are not possible without 
you," addressing the local leaders as partners to electoral 
officials, government officials, the police, the army, and Coalition 
Forces. The Prophet Mohammed, said Mohammed Ali, chose leaders by 
election, and Afghanistan's constitution reflects this Islamic 
practice. The senior community leader present, Mohammed Saki from 
Nangaresh, endorsed these sentiments, saying, "The constitution is 
in the light of Islam" and provides the electoral framework. 
Democracy, Mohammed Saki added, brings not only the right to choose 
your own leaders, but facilitates economic development. In 
consensus, local leaders promised to provide support and hospitality 
to DFCs, and to facilitate the transport of election materials. 
DFCs offered to work closely with community leaders to identify 
suitable deputy DFCs and poll workers. 
 
¶4. (SBU) On security, the elders of Pasini and Mandol offered to 
rally local militias to support elections, a proposal consistent 
with Interior Minister Atmar's plan to pay local forces 
police-equivalent salaries for election security. TF Steel is 
working now to support this initiative and facilitate the flow of 
funds from Kabul. A Dow Ab leader, however, said his area needed 
more police to protect the transit of election materials. PRT 
Nuristan will highlight this request for the PEO and provincial 
police chief. PEO Omar Sami on August 6 also named his 
representatives for each of Nuristan security coordination centers - 
the provincial OCC in Nurgram for the western valley, and the 
satellite OCCs (at COP Keating and FOB Bostick) for the central and 
eastern valleys. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The August 6 western valley election shura demonstrated 
again that many Nuristanis are eager to vote but are frustrated that 
the patchy voter registration process has left some eligible voters 
without voter cards. One shura participant drew applause when he 
rose to say that he is "most happy to have elections," and that "our 
brothers and sisters" among recent returnees, women, and Nuristanis 
in the remotest valleys who could not obtain voter cards, also want 
to vote. DFCs present noted that time is now too short for 
additional registration before voting day on August 20. In support 
of Nuristanis' evident determination to participate in the 
democratic process, we will continue to work with the IEC and UNDP 
to devise a solution that promotes enfranchisement and uniform 
access to the polls while discouraging fraud and perceptions of 
fraud. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The PRT commander and the TF Steel commander have reviewed 
this message. 
 
EIKENBERRY