Weekly Statement
* The (BoC) holds regular and extraordinary meetings in preparation for local elections.
* The chairman of the (BOC) discusses ways of cooperation with stakeholders.
* THE (CEO) participates in the forum of electoral administrations in Cairo.
* (IHEC) communicates with political parties to organize electoral participation.
Weekly Statement
The chairman of the board of Commissioners (BoC) and the members of the Independent High Electoral Commission in Iraq (IHEC) held their extraordinary session to approve instructions for registering candidates, instructions for electoral complaints and appeals of the Nonregional Governorate’s Council Elections, in addition to the initial deployment of registration centers and polling stations to ensure easy access of voters to them, and in order to preserve the rights of displaced persons to participate in the upcoming elections; the mechanism for registering displaced voters was accredited , and the (BOC) decided at their nineteenth regular meeting to form a committee headed by the member of the (BOC) judge ( Ali Rashid Mohammed) ; its job to limit the places of displaced persons to register their textual and vital data.
Concerning the holding of the Kurdistan regional parliament elections, the chairman of the (BoC) and members met with the president of the Kurdistan region in the presence of the special representative of the secretary-general of the United Nations in Iraq, Mrs. (Jeanine Hennis Plasschaert) , and the UN mission to discuss the need to hold the Kurdistan Region Parliament elections, especially after the decision issued by the federal court which stipulated the unconstitutionality of extending the work of the Kurdistan Region Parliament with the legislative vacuum, expressing the readiness of the Independent High Electoral Commission to cooperate with the region in holding elections in accordance with international standards after determining the date of holding the elections.
In the framework of communication with stakeholders , the chairman of the board of Commissioners, judge (Omar Ahmed Mohammed), discussed with the executive director of the international human right’s law Institute and his accompanying delegation the mechanism of joint cooperation in the success of the upcoming elections, the chairman also discussed, in the presence of a member of the (BoC) judge (A’amer Mousa Al-Hussainy) with a delegation from the Shams Election Observation Network; the role of civil society organizations in transparency of the electoral process, while the delegation submitted a draft of memorandum of understanding to facilitate the organization’s work and support the work of (IHEC) in holding the 2023 local elections, while agreeing to launch an awareness campaign including all types of voters; and to enhance the electoral turnout and create sustainable interaction with stakeholders .
in cooperation with the Electoral Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI); (IHEC) held a training workshop with number of civil society organizations representatives, for their important and effective role in creating a suitable environment for elections, raising awareness of voters, and motivating them to participate in the election.
In his speech the fourth forum of electoral administrations in Arab countries in Cairo under the slogan “media and elections” at the headquarters of the general secretariat of the league of Arab states in Cairo, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Judge (Abbas al-Fatlawi), stressed on (the crucial role of the media outlets’ role in the conducting of the electoral process; as it represents all segments of society, the media creates a conscious and educated society familiar with the stages of the electoral process, to contribute to the final outcome of building a Democratic state),.
With the approaching date of registration of political parties and alliances wishing to participate in the upcoming 2023 Governorates Council Elections, and according to the schedule approved by the board of Commissioners; the Directorate of (parties and political organizations’ affairs) is working in communication with political parties to organize the electoral participation, to inform the parties that did not hold the Constituent Congress according to the party’s bylaws to elect a new party leadership, with the approval of the board of Commissioners on the recommendations of the workshop of the lessons learned held with the participation of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which states that (Not to allow parties that have not held founding conferences or parties whose leadership has expired to participate in the elections). Based on Article (6) of the political parties Law No. (36) of 2015, which stated “the political party adopts democratic mechanisms in electing the party leaders”.
The staff of registration centers and mobile teams of the (GEOs) governorate electoral offices continue registering voters and distributing the biometric cards to previously registered voters. These efforts resulted in the registering (976,905) voters including (202,908) voters born in 2004, and (109,274) voters born in 2005, while the total number of distributed cards was (1,252,340). (555,095) cards were distributed for public voting, and (644,967) cards for private voting from the security agencies and the armed forces, while(52,278) cards were distributed for the IDPs and immigrants. The work was carried out in the presence of Agents of political parties and local observers.
those interested in the electoral issue. They can view the cumulative operational situation of the biometric registration and distribution processes through visiting the official website of (IHEC), https://ihec.iq/biometric-registration /.