ELECTIONS COMMISSION SELECTION OFF TO A GOOD START

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001260

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: ELECTIONS COMMISSION SELECTION OFF TO A GOOD START

Classified By: Classified by Deputy Political Counselor Robert Gilchris
t for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (SBU) United Nations Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Senior
Electoral Advisor Sandra Mitchell told POLOFF in a April 10
meeting that the selection process for the new Independent
High Electoral Commission (IHEC) is "off to a surprisingly
good start." The Council of Representatives (COR) is
implementing the UNAMI recommended fair and transparent
process to select commissioners, she said. According to
legislation signed into law in February, the IHEC will have
the responsibility for administering and overseeing all
elections and referenda at the national, regional, and
provincial level. It replaces the outgoing Independent
Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI).


2. (SBU) Demonstrating support for UN involvement, COR Deputy
Speaker Khalid Attiya (Shia) provided a letter to UNAMI
inviting them to observe and advise the commissioner
selection process. Attiya will allow UNAMI to verify
implementation of the recommended selection process, conduct
random quality checks on the first stage screening, and sit
in on all second stage interviews, said Mitchell.
Furthermore, Attiya told Mitchell that he intends to provide
an additional letter engaging UNAMI to advise the new IHEC
with any up-coming elections and referenda.


3. (SBU) Mitchell stated that the COR selection committee's
public outreach for nominations was excellent, and included
over 400 media outlets. "Hundreds and hundreds" of
nominations have pored in - from all 18 provinces, from men
and women, from all sects and ethnicities, and even from the
Diaspora in Jordan and Syria, she said. In addition, a
majority of the out-going elections commissioners are seeking
re-nomination, she observed.

--------------
Comment
--------------


4. (C) The selection process appears on track to meet the
COR's announced April 26 deadline. However, the increase in
regional nominations suggests that transport to Baghdad for
interviews may be a constraint that requires extending the
deadline to properly process all meritorious applications.
After months of delay in passing the IHEC law, Post is
cautiously encouraged by the sudden focus by the COR on this
process. We also still expect the political party leadership
to weigh in behind the scenes in selecting the IHEC. Once
the new Commission is established, UNAMI will begin training
and developing the capacity of the IHEC. One challenge is to
ensure the roughly 300 mid and lower level personnel in the
IECI remain in their positions to ensure a smooth transition
and retain institutional knowledge. Another challenge will
be the appointment of provincial General Electoral Officers,
who are to be nominated by the COR and appointed by the IHEC.
CROCKER