Weekly Statement
* The (BOC) ratified the regulations of the Iraqi _Kurdistan Parliament Election .
* The(BOC) decides to conduct manual sorting and counting of all polling stations after the end of the electronic Sorting and counting process, in the Election of the Parliament of the Kurdistan region.
* The (BOC) sets the 22nd of October 2023, for a lottery to select the polling officers
* The (BOC) discusses with the German embassy the role of international observation in ensuring the integrity of local elections.
* One of the members of the (BOC) attended the online International Conference of the World Assembly of electoral bodies.
* (IHEC) forms Central Monitoring Committees and sub-committees in the governorates to monitor electoral irregularities.
Weekly Statement
The board of Commissioners (BOC) at the Independent High Electoral Commission in Iraq (IHEC) held a regular session on 8th October 2023, in which it approved the registration of voters born in 2006 exclusively those who reached the legal age of (18) years old ; on the 25th February 2024 biometrically, in governorates of the Kurdistan region, and for (10) ten days starting from 10th of October 2023; so they will be able to cast their votes and electing the Parliament of the Kurdistan region. At its special session held on 9th of October , the (BOC) also ratified the regulations for the 2024 Kurdistan regional parliament election , including (the electoral campaigns system, the system of party agents and political alliances, media outlets system and accreditation of media professionals, and the accreditation systems for international and local observers).
The (BOC) also discussed at its special session the paragraphs of the counting and sorting system for the process of electing the Parliament of the Kurdistan region of Iraq to ensure that it is conducted under the international standards. the (BOC) decided to conduct manual sorting and counting of all polling stations after the end of the electronic sorting and Counting process, then printing the results report; for the purpose of matching the results of both processes, to see if the results of electronic Sorting and counting matching those of the manual Sorting and Counting; then the results of the electronic Sorting and Counting will be adopted. But if there is no matching, the results of the Sorting and Counting will be adopted.
At the same special session, the board of commissioners decided to conduct the electronic lottery to select the polling staff on Sunday, 22nd October , provided that the lottery procedure would be at the level of each governorate, and the implementation mechanism would be electronic at the level of each registration center.
After sending official invitations to Arab and foreign countries to invite their international observers who will be accredited to observe the electoral process; the chairman of the board of Commissioners judge (Omar Ahmed Mohammed) in the presence of his deputy judge ( Fayad Yassin Hussein) and judge (Abbas al-Fatlawi) the Chief executive officer (CEO), welcomed the visit of the first secretary of the German embassy in Iraq; to discuss the invitation submitted to them by the commission to observe the elections in terms of the number of observers and teams that will be formed to observe the Non_Governorates council elections on 18th December 2023, while clarifying the commission’s preparations for the upcoming electoral process.
In the aspect of communication and exchange of electoral experiences, a member of the board of Commissioners, the Judge, (Dr. Fattah Mohamed Hussein) , participated in the online International Conference of the World Association of electoral bodies, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the (A_WEB) , during which the achievements of the association during the period of its establishment were reviewed.
While the work continues and coordination with the concerned authorities in verifying the eligibility of candidates continues, the IHEC has formed Central Monitoring Committees at the national office and sub-committees in the offices of the electoral provinces, to monitor and follow up violations of candidates of coalitions and parties not certified by the board of Commissioners.
Before the board of commissioners set a date to start the electoral campaigns; the sub-committees have founded number of excesses and violations, as number of candidates were using early electoral campaigns. So the party representatives were informed of the need to remove the violation, and take all legal action against violators of the electoral campaign system.
To ensure the rights of voter on Special Voting day on 16th December 2023, IHEC held an educational workshop for members of the security forces that included the procedures for private voting and the mechanism of using the electronic electoral devices:_(VVD) voters verification device, (P_COS) results acceleration device, transmitter), and the voting mechanism in the ballot paper .