CONSTITUTION PUBLIC OUTREACH EFFORT INTENSIFIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004122 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2015 TAGS: PGOV PNAT PHUM KDEM IZ SUBJECT: CONSTITUTION PUBLIC OUTREACH EFFORT INTENSIFIES REF: A. A. BAGHDAD 3868 ¶B. B. BAGHDAD 3795 Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary. UNAMI distribution of the Iraqi draft constitution is well underway. 750,000 copies of the text reached the southern governorates in the past five days. Distribution to other parts of the country continues. Kurdish copies are expected to arrive in Kurdistan by October 6. Meanwhile, the international donor community pressed on with multimedia outreach campaigns designed to run parallel to the UNAMI constitution outreach program. Recent Embassy Baghdad-sponsored visits to the Sunni areas with IECI commissioners have been a positive step in the outreach effort. UNAMI has had to reduce the number of contracted printers from three to four, due to performance problems. End summary. -------------- NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION UPDATE -------------- ¶2. (C) The UNAMI Constitution Support Unit (CSU) has completed printing over 2 million copies of the draft constitution. UNAMI is using PDS to distribute copies to the southern governorates and Baghdad. UNAMI is working through local authorities to distribute the constitution in Kurdistan and through the Public Affairs office of the Council of Ministers to distribute copies to the rest of the country. CSU reports nation-wide progress on distribution as of October 5 as follows: -- SOUTHERN PROVINCE PDS: 750,000 copies have been delivered to PDS warehouses in the southern provinces of Wasit, Maysan, Basrah, Muthanna, Najaf, Qadisiyah, Dhi Qar, Karbala, and Babil. These drafts were reportedly picked up by food agents and delivered to PDS stores for Iraqi citizens to collect with their monthly food allotment. -- BAGHDAD: UNAMI has sent 395,000 drafts to the Baghdad PDS for immediate pick-up by PDS agents. -- WESTERN PROVINCES: UNAMI has delivered 500,000 copies to the Council of Ministers Public Affairs office that were reportedly dispatched October 3 to the western provinces. UNAMI provided an additional 250,000 copies to the Public Affairs office October 5 also destined for the western provinces, and will provide an additional 200,000 for delivery to Ninawa by week's end. -- KURDISTAN: Deliveries to Kurdistan have been delayed due to the late release of the TNA-approved Kurdish draft. However, UNAMI predicted the first 300,000 copies would be delivered to Erbil October 6, and another 300,000 copies to Sulaymaniyah October 9. The final 400,000 copies should be delivered to Sulaymaniyah on October 11. -- TURCOMAN DRAFTS: UNAMI had previously arranged for 250,000 copies printed by the Turcoman community to be locally printed and distributed in Dahuk. According to UNAMI, the Dahuk Turcoman community reports that all copies have been printed and distributed. -- ITG DISTRIBUTION: In addition to the above, the CSU has arranged for a final delivery by October 9 of 1,250,00 copies for distribution to ministries for further distribution throughout the country to national government offices, universities, mosques, and civil society groups. -- THREE OF FOUR PRINTERS ON THE JOB: Due to performance problems with one of the four contracted printers, UNAMI has tasked the remaining three printers to increase production. -------------- MEDIA AND PUBLIC OUTREACH CAMPAIGN -------------- ¶3. (C) CSU staff report they are focusing primarily on TV and radio to conduct their constitution public outreach campaign. For the final two weeks before the referendum, UNAMI will support the TNA Constitution Committee Outreach Unit with Public Service Announcements, short presentations on constitution education, and televised talk shows featuring discussions between TNA members and civil society leaders about the referendum. UNOPS in Amman is also programming small workshops, radio programs, and mobile team visits primarily in the north and south. ¶4. (SBU) In the run-up to the referendum, USAID- coordinated implementers -- NDI, IRI, and America's Democracy Foundation (ADF) -- will coordinate a series of 3,700 workshops in all 18 governorates with the goal of reaching an estimated 100,000 participants. USAID is also sponsoring 100 town hall meetings with local political and civic leaders. The IRI-supported media campaign will include 600 slots for 30-second ads on the Al-Arabiya, Al-Sharqiya, and Al-Iraqya TV stations. ¶5. (SBU) Additional media programming includes four 45-minute programs on key themes such as women, federalism, Iraqi identity, and Sunni Arab participation. ADF and its subcontractor IREX continue to produce the highly successful television broadcast entitled "Our Constitution", a nationally aired 90-minute program shown weekly at prime time. In Sunni Arab areas, NDI and IRI are conducting an estimated 500 constitution workshops aimed at reaching an estimated 13,000 participants. USAID also has a public information and get-out-the-vote campaign targeting Sunni Arabs. ¶6. (C) In order to build a relationship of greater trust between the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) and Sunni Arabs, Embassy Baghdad has continued sponsoring outreach visits of IECI commissioners to key Sunni Arab-majority cities. These trips have allowed local government and civic leaders to address local election issues directly to the IECI commissioners in order to improve relationships between the Sunni Arab leaders and the IECI. Most recently, post sponsored a combined IECI/Embassy team visit to Mosul October 3 (septel). Remaining trips include Fallujah (October 6) and Tikrit (October 10). These trips also provide an opportunity to deliver newly printed copies of the draft constitution. Khalilzad