COALITION AND CANDIDATE REGISTRATION DEADLINE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 004321

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: COALITION AND CANDIDATE REGISTRATION DEADLINE
EXTENDED TO OCTOBER 28


Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford, for
reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (U) The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq
(IECI) announced October 19 that the IECI Board of
Directors has approved extending both the political
coalition and the political candidate registration
deadline from October 21 to October 28. The IECI has
produced a press release announcing this change.


2. (C) COMMENT: In an October 19 meeting, prior to
issuance of the announcement, UN EAD chief Carina
Perelli told the Charge that the election coalition
registration deadline could be moved forward by only a
few days due to the amount of time needed for ballot
design, production, shipment and distribution.
However, she confirmed that the deadline for candidate
lists could be moved forward by as much as two weeks
(i.e., to November 4). Perelli said the IECI might
not initially extend the candidate list deadline to
the latest possible date, as Iraq's disorganized
political parties were likely to take all time
afforded to them, and more, to identify candidates.


Satterfield