Weekly Statement
- The (BoC) holds regular and exceptional meetings to organize the paths of the electoral process.
- The (BoC) approves the technical specifications of surveillance cameras in polling stations and polling stations.
- The Kirkuk governorate voter registry audit committee is carrying out its tasks in coordination with representatives from the governorate.
- The (IHEC) begins counting the displaced voters in the camps
- The (IHEC) and the Security Committee inspect the Electoral Devices Rehabilitation Center.
Weekly Statement
Frequent work to hold the 2023 governorates elections is increasing. The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners (BoC) and the members of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) held their regular and exceptional meetings; to follow up the implementation of the operational schedule’s items and its viability scope with the timelines of activities initiated by (IHEC) since the beginning of last April.
During its sessions, the (BoC) approved the technical specifications of the surveillance cameras which were installed in polling centers and stations, by the committee formed under a presidential Order No. (23382). It consists of (IHEC), the Ministry of Communications, Media and Communications Commission, and the Council of Advisors. The board also approved in its meetings the change of two political parties’ names.
The member of the Board of Commissioners, (Dr. Ahlam Al-Jaberi) submitted a proposal to the (BoC) which in its turn agreed on its contents regarding concluding a memorandum of joint cooperation between (IHEC) and (Shams Network to monitor elections) to guarantee the transparency, integrity and impartiality of the electoral process.
As part of the Commission’s endeavor to involve government institutions and bodies in supporting the democratic process, (Dr. Al-Jaberi) discussed with the head of the Iraqi Media Network ways of joint cooperation to enhance the Commission’s work to had a great success regarding media campaigns for educating voters and enhance their awareness on the importance of participating in the upcoming local elections, as well as joint coordination to exchange experiences and develop skills in all media aspects.
On the other hand, (the Kirkuk Governorate voter registry audit committee) formed under the presidential Order No. (23556) headed by Dr. (Fattah Muhammad Hussein), Counselor, and member of the Board of Commissioners, with the membership of the Director General of the Notary Clerks Department of the Ministry of Justice, Director General of the Planning and Follow-up Department of the Ministry of Trade, and a representative of the Operations and Technology information Department, and officer of the voter registry division ; To discuss the initial procedures for primary procedures of auditing the voters’ register and the mechanisms that would be taken in this regard, and setting a time –bound for work not exceed (45 days) from the date of its first meeting on (24th July , 2023).
This was based on the amended governorates Council Elections’ Law,2023, which states:- ( The Independent High Electoral Commission, in coordination with the competent ministries of interior, health, justice, trade, planning, and a representative of all social components of Kirkuk governorate from the members of Parliament for the governorate; will check the voters register in Kirkuk governorate).
In line with the provisions of the amended electoral law of ( 2023) aimed to guarantee the rights of displaced voters in camps to vote for their original constituencies from which they were displaced from, using their biometric card, (IHEC) formed a committee hold the task of counting the numbers of displaced persons headed by Judge (Ali Rashid), member of the Board of Commissioners, the committee started its work in Sulaymaniyah Elections Office to identify The office’s achievements in the process of updating and registering the displaced voters, and counting the data of IDPs in the governorate and the camps. The judge inspected the camps of the IDPs to ensure that their textual and biometric data were registered and updated, while he discussed with the United Nations Refugee Team ways to guarantee their in the elections.
In regard to field follow-up, a member of the Board of Commissioners, Judge (Hussein Abdel-Sada), accompanied by Mr. (Ali Faisal Dahham) the Secretary-General of the Board of Commissioners, inspected the Sulaymaniyah and Nineveh elections offices, their registration centers and warehouses; To follow up on the process of updating and biometric registration of voters, and receiving lists of candidates, stressing the continuous work to achieve local elections in accordance with international standards.
As for the security side, Judge (A’amer Musa Al-Hussaini) member of the Board of Commissioners, along with members of the Supreme Security Committee for Elections, visited the Electoral Bodies Rehabilitation Center at the Baghdad International Fair. To see the security reality in the center on the ground; In order to receive the electoral devices from the electoral governorate offices for the purpose of testing and maintaining them to be qualified for using in the upcoming elections.
In conjunction with updating voter register, the efforts of (IHEC) continue through its electoral offices, as well as the Department of Media and Mass Communication, to publish motivational messages aimed to increase the percentage of voters’ participation in updating their data and receiving their biometric cards through holding seminars and direct meetings in addition to continuous media coverage through Audiovisual media.
With regard to the stage of registration of political parties and alliances wishing to participate in the upcoming Governorates elections, which began in early July, the work resulted in the registration of (24) political alliances, and (281) approved political parties, while number of parties (under establishment) reached ( 78) parties, until the (27th of July).
As for the stage of updating the voter register, the (1,079) registration centers throughout Iraq, with their mobile teams, continue registering and updating voters’ data, as the number of registered voters and updated their biometric data were (294,715) voters of (27th July, 2023). This will continue until (7th August, 2023) in the governorates non-organized in the region, and until (11th August. 2023) in the region.
The Independent High Electoral Commission within the stages of the operational schedule, announced the opening of the application for the post of (polling officer) on (27th July, 2023), for ages between (19 to 56) years old from all civil departments of the state, students of universities and institutes, and graduates students, on the condition that their educational achievement is diploma at least, in addition to have a biometric card and is exclusively a of the governorate’s residents , and is on the geographical area of the registration and submission center. The applications are submitted via the link available on the official website of the Electoral Commission ( https://pcemp.ihec.iq ).