Notes from EU election observation mission Iraq 2021

Sheri Laizer | Exclusive to iKurd.net

BAGHDAD,— Viola von Cramon, Chief Observer, addressed a live audience this morning in Baghdad, taking questions after delivering a ten minute prepared speech. Some of the key observations included the following:

“Electoral legislation imposed some restrictions on electoral rights. These restrictions ran contrary to international commitments such as legal capacity for the right to vote, same true for age, education and departification? measures on candidatures…these are vested in international commitments to which Iraq has subscribed…Furthermore, the legal framework contains several gaps and precedents with many aspects of the electoral process left unregulated. This compromised legal certainty. In the absence of reliable population data, it is not possible to be certain whether the equality of the vote is ensured by the current delimitation of constituencies…

Grounds for disqualification of candidates between registration and election day were poorly defined in the IHEC regulation to the point of undermining the principle of legality.

Campaigning mainly promoted the candidates and blocs that already dominated the previous elections. The most recently established Tishreen parties boycotted the elections…

Particularly female candidate were subjected to this intimidation and threats.

The amount a party or bloc can spend was not regulated…political money has talked…. Many holders of public office used public funds for campaigning (3.53)…

Iraq technological standards were non problematic. Digital misinformation and other pre-election issues existed.

Transparency of IHEC was limited…

…only some 20 million voters were in possession of a valid voter card required for voting…

The public media decided not to provide any coverage of candidates and political parties in their news programmes, covering the campaign instead in specific election programmes.

This restricted citizens’ rights to have access to a pluralistic campaign coverage. Perceived as lively but partisan…freedom of the media was not safeguarded… death threats to journalists and temporary closures of some TV channels. In the case of the Kurdistan region of Iraq– terms negatively impacted the campaign.

Freedom of expression online was curtailed and vague criminal provisions such as the law in the Kurdistan region prevent misuse of communications impacted all kinds of intimidation,

disrupted integrity of online space. …Repeated threats, insults and attacks online hindered the inclusiveness of the political debate…

IDP numbers decreased considerably…

The IHEC has announced the results within 24 hours…as it is written in the law. The EU’s observers are still on the ground to observe also include post-electoral processes including complaints and appeals. It is critical in any electoral process that grievances are addressed through the respective legal mechanism.

Iraq had a very peaceful election day and I commend the people of Iraq again for this conduct. There should be also no space for violence in the post-electoral period. Candidates and voters must be safe now and in the future. I will be returning in about two months’ time to present the final report of this EU Observation Mission…with a comprehensive account …including a set of recommendations for future electoral processes…

HIGHLIGHTED RESPONSES FROM QUESTIONS

“Have not observed any major fraud or violation regarding the electoral process.”

“Call on everyone to stay calm and use the appeal process for complaints.”

“Independent and new candidates found it much more difficult to compete moneywise or media wise, unlike the old blocs.”

“We are now during the appeal period…this is a normal legal mechanism…”

“IHEC did everything to prevent manipulation from happening…”

(39 minutes in total broadcast)

I note that most of Viola von Cramon’s criticism was openly directed at the modus operandi of the Kurdish administration and inequality overall in campaign funding as well as restrictions on freedom of expression, media coverage, intimidation, insults and death threats.

The EU Election Observation Mission is also clearly hoping that the threats of the pro-Iran Muqawama – not referred to by name in the address – do not translate into violence, because Hadi al-Amiri of Badr, KH, and other of the pro-Iran groups in the PMF have rejected the results.

The chief victor, al-Sadr, in his own published speech is dismissive of these attempts to undermine the results and has recognised them officially – being the real winner as anticipated.

New Generation and the KDP both made gains in Kurdistan and KDP in the disputed territories where the anti Iran lobby responded to their campaign overtures. The KDP has been bearing the brunt of the pro-Iran militia groups attacks on Erbil all year where the PUK, close to Iran has been spared. Iran is threatening to pursue its opposition inside the KRG, just as Erdogan has been doing so effectively in Turkey’s ongoing anti-Kurdish drive.

Sheri Laizer, a Middle East and North African expert specialist and well known commentator on the Kurdish issue. She is a senior contributing writer for iKurd.net. More about Sheri Laizer see below.