RRT ERBIL: NEW UNAMI ELECTORAL OFFICER ARRIVES

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001154 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2018 TAGS: PGOV KDEM PINR PHUM IZ SUBJECT: RRT ERBIL: NEW UNAMI ELECTORAL OFFICER ARRIVES Classified By: RRT Erbil Regional Coordinator Jess Baily for Reasons 1. 4 (b,d) This is an Erbil Regional Reconstruction Team message. ¶1. (C) Erbil RRTOff met April 10 with newly-appointed UNAMI Electoral Officer for northern Iraq, Diederik Willems, at his request, for a meet and greet discussion. Willems said that he has met with the Governorate Electoral Officers (GEOs) for Dohuk and Kirkuk, who complained bitterly about the lack of support and guidance received from the Independent High Electoral commission (IHEC) in Baghdad. He said there is minimal guidance forthcoming from the IHEC, and that the GEOs seemed skeptical that elections would take place by October ¶1. (Note: the October 1 deadline for provincial council elections does not apply in the three provinces of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG),Dohuk, Sulaymaniye and Erbil. Elections will be held in Kirkuk province, which is outside the KRG. End Note.) In addition, he said the GEOs had expressed dismay over the lottery system to hire new voter registration staff -- that several, qualified individuals, GEO-recommended, were ignored. The GEOs also complained that the GEO appointed for the KRG, Ali Khader Obiedi, simply slowed down its work and correspondence with IHEC HQ in Baghdad. ¶2. (C) Willems also expressed concern about voting rights for Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the KRG. While Mohammed Ihsan, Minister for Extra-Regional Affairs and nominally responsible for IDPs in the KRG, had appeared willing to cooperate with UNAMI, Willems said he had been unable to review the KRG's IDP database. He lamented that every time he tried to meet with Ihsan's staff, they proved unavailable. ¶3. (C) Willems said United Nations security, requiring 25 days notice to travel outside of Erbil city environs, made meetings with GEOs and other organizations involved in elections outside of Erbil virtually impossible. He said he recently jumped on a scheduled UNHCR trip to Dohuk, and met ad hoc with Dohuk's GEO. Willems said he also wanted to meet with the Kirkuk and Ninewa PRTs. (Embassy Note: UNAMI is reviewing its security requirements -- imposed by headquarters in New York -- in Erbil to allow for more flexibility in movement. End Note). ¶4. (SBU) Biographical Note: Willems worked on elections for the UN in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Congo-Kinshasa, and for the IOM in Syria, as the country coordinator for Iraq's out of country voting program in 2005. He claimed, albeit dryly, that he was responsible for organizing the recent Kosovo referendum. He is currently on a three month contract, which he expects to be renewed. He is Belgian and arrived in Erbil approximately three weeks ago. ¶5. (C) Comment: Willems appears to be very capable, with extensive elections assistance experience. As he has recently arrived, he is still getting his bearings, but appears to be making rapid progress. End Comment. BUTENIS