IECI MEETS WITH ADNAN DULAIMI AND OTHER SUNNI

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 003477

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2025
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: IECI MEETS WITH ADNAN DULAIMI AND OTHER SUNNI
LEADERS

REF: BAGHDAD 3442

Classified By: PolCouns Robert Ford reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. At an Embassy-facilitated, August 23
meeting with the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq
(IECI),Sunni Conference Chairman Adnan Dulaimi pressed for
more voter registration centers in Al-Anbar and an
extension of the voter registration period. Sunni
Constitution Committee representative Hasseb Arif
complained that Al-Anbar sites are too few in number and
located too far away for many residents. The Sunni and
IECI representatives agreed that more outreach by
government and political entities is needed to educate the
public. They further agreed to form a joint working
committee to improve coordination between IECI and Sunnis.
On August 24, UN Electoral Operations Chief David Avery
indicated that the UN may provide some funding to Sunni
outreach initiatives, and predicted that the IECI will
extend the Al-Anbar voter registration period by one week.
Most Sunni Arab leaders distrust IECI and worry about
unfairness in upcoming elections. Embassy organized this
meeting as a means to encourage Sunni Arab leaders and IECI
to began talking with each other. End Summary.


2. (C) Further to reftel, Embassy Baghdad arranged a
meeting for Sunni Conference Chairman Dulaimi and TNA
Constitution Committee Member Arif with IECI commissioners
to discuss Sunni voter registration concerns. Accompanying
Dulaimi and Arif were Sunni Conference Spokesman Mohammed
Abbass, Anwar Al-Lahebi, and Imad Mohammad Ali. All of the
IECI commissioners attended, except for Commissioner Safwat
who was reportedly ill, as did UN Electoral Operations
Chief David Avery.


3. (C) Dulaimi and Arif pressed the IECI commissioners for
more voter registration centers (VRCs) in Sunni areas.
They further asked for an extension of the voter
registration period due to delays in opening VRCs. Arif
claimed that for two weeks no registration centers had been
available in Al-Anbar, and that only a few of the 28
planned registration centers are now open. Arif said
people have complained of political bias at some centers,
and asked for impartial observers to monitor registration
sites. In Kirkuk, for example, Arif alleged that Iraqi
Police guarding some centers have been obstructive, telling
certain residents that the centers were closed when they
were actually open. Abbas added that there is
insufficient public outreach on voter registration,
especially in Al-Anbar. Dulaimi requested funding
assistance from the IECI and UN. Dulaimi said he planned
to expand his outreach and soon visit Diyala to meet with
tribal leaders there. Finally, the Sunni representatives
and IECI commissioners recognized that more outreach by
government and political entities was needed to better
educate the public, and agreed to form a joint working
committee to improve coordination between IECI and Sunnis.


4. (C) Subsequent to the meeting, UN Electoral Operations
Chief Avery told Poloff on August 24 that the UN may
provide some funding to Sunni outreach initiatives, and
predicted that the IECI will extend the Al-Anbar voter
registration period by one week.


5. (C) Comment: Most Sunni Arab leaders distrust IECI and
worry that the next elections will be unfair. We organized
the August 23 meeting to get Sunni Arab leaders (most of
whom had had no contact with the IECI) to talk directly
with the commissioners. To further encourage dialogue,
Embassy is working with USMC in Al-Anbar to arrange an IECI
visit to the province for discussions with local leaders
about voter registration and elections. End Comment.

Khalilzad