VZCZCXRO0174
OO RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #0026/01 0041306
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041306Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4455
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3905
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000026 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR S/SRAP STAFF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KCOR KJUS EAID AF
SUBJECT: AFGHAN HIGH OFFICE OF OVERSIGHT (HOO) SEEKS U.S. GUIDANCE 
PREPARING ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENDA FOR LONDON CONFERENCE 
 
¶1. (SBU) In his second week as the new Deputy Director General for 
Policy and Oversight for the HOO, Qaseem Ludin met with Ambassador 
Wayne, the USAID Rule of Law Advisor and the US Embassy Rule of Law 
Coordinator on January 3, 2010 to discuss the HOO's current 
anti-corruption activities.  Ludin discussed a proposed draft paper 
for the London conference.  The paper is based on recommendations 
from the Afghan National Anti-Corruption Conference, along with 
discussions with the international community including the UK and 
the United States. 
 
¶2. (SBU) According to Ludin, President Karzai does not plan to 
provide specific targets or objectives at the London Conference. 
Karzai's intent is to use the forum to refine principles and obtain 
general agreement on a way forward that would be further developed 
during the Kabul conference in the spring 2010. 
Ludin said he was confused about how to proceed since the British 
appear to want substantive decisions that he believes the GIRoA is 
not prepared to make in London.  Ludin said that such details the 
British expect include the structure of the revised HOO and the 
number and composition of an international oversight component. 
Ludin suggested the British expectations are too advanced for the 
London discussions and do not take into account the results of the 
December national conference. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to comments from working-level staff in the 
British Embassy to the US Embassy Rule of Law Coordinator, the UK is 
seeking a substantive statement from President Karzai at the London 
Conference describing the Afghan policy for combating corruption. 
The statement should establish parameters which will then be 
developed at the spring conference in Kabul. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ludin's proposed draft paper for President Karzai includes 
a request for the international donor community to provide the 
necessary financial and technical assistance to implement the Afghan 
anti-corruption plan and reforms in the Kabul Conference.  Ludin did 
not have an estimate of the amount of financial and technical 
assistance that would be needed.  He has offered to work with the 
U.S. and other international donors in developing details to the 
Afghan proposed Anti-Corruption plan. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ludin's draft anti-corruption proposal for the London 
conference includes Afghan commitments to: 
 
A) Strengthen institutional arrangements to combat corruption by: 
 
--Increasing institutional powers, independence and capacity with 
the High Office as the lead agency. 
--Change the name of the High Office of Oversight and 
Anti-Corruption to the Independent High Office for Combating 
Corruption; 
--Providing investigative powers to the HOO and amending the Afghan 
Penal Code to impose penalties for corruption offenses; 
--Establishing an accountability mechanism (permissible under the 
current statute pending before the Parliament) to ensure the High 
Office has an independent budget that is insulated from external 
influence; 
--Submitting annual reports to Parliament on progress in reducing 
corruption; and 
--Ensuring civil society, the international community, and the media 
play an active role in overseeing the High Office's activities and 
anti-corruption efforts in the form of an independent and Afghan-led 
Accountability Board. 
 
B) Implement and effectively enforce asset declarations by public 
officials by: 
 
--Developing a comprehensive legal framework as part of the 
amendment of the law on combating corruption, including amending the 
Afghan penal code; and 
--Implementing the Asset Declaration Strategy and developing a 
mechanism for verifying declared assets. 
 
C) Prevent Corruption through Public Administration Reform by: 
 
--Simplifying and reforming "major" public administrative procedures 
and service delivery processes in an effort to: 
--Reducing and/or eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy and lengthy 
processes government service delivery mechanisms for the public; 
--Eliminating corruption vulnerabilities by streamlining services 
with fewer administrative steps that minimize opportunities to 
elicit bribes and where possible to eliminate cash transactions by 
allowing direct-deposits; 
--Strengthening government revenue collection capacity to increase 
national revenues; 
-- Strengthening the internal control mechanisms and internal 
inspections in all government agencies; and 
--Strengthening the ability of the Control and Audit office to 
assist the government in identifying systems and procedural 
 
KABUL 00000026  002 OF 002 
 
 
deficiencies; and 
--Publicizing reports and findings on the performance of state 
agencies including cases of corruption. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Ambassador Wayne and Embassy staff suggested, and Ludin 
agreed, that Embassy staff work with Ludin to provide some more 
specifics for the draft paper which would strengthen the 
independence of the new oversight office, its powers, and the role 
of inter advisor. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment:  If there is GIRoA commitment to the principles in 
the HOO draft proposal, the government would be on the right track 
toward meeting the minimum requirements needed to transform the HOO 
to an entity with appropriate oversight and accountability.  The HOO 
Deputy Director asked for help in learning what and how to proceed 
in developing an independent anti-corruption infrastructure with 
authority to act, investigate, and prosecute.  Ludin also asked for 
U.S. guidance in developing the action plan as well as in its 
implementation.  He appears to understand the problems confronting 
the HOO and at the same time he recognizes U.S. support is needed to 
implement the organizations needed transformation.  End Comment 
 
RICCIARDONE