RRT ERBIL: COUNTDOWN TO 25 JULY IN THE KRG FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001334 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM IZ SUBJECT: RRT ERBIL: COUNTDOWN TO 25 JULY IN THE KRG FOR PARLIAMENTARY AND REGIONAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS REF: A. A. BAGHDAD 1170 ¶B. B. BAGHDAD 1295 This message is Sensitive but Unclassified; handle accordingly. Not for distribution on the Internet. This is an Erbil Regional reconstruction Team (RRT) cable. ¶1. (U) Summary: Kurdistan has decided to &go green,8 and will ban political advertising in public spaces considered environmentally unsafe or a visual blight. Forty-two political lists have registered for the elections, of which 22 are new lists. Campaigning, which is permitted to begin on May 22, is expected to be active in these elections. RRT Erbil is working with the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) and its satellite office, the Kurdistan Regional Electoral Office (KREO),to fund public outreach campaigns, including an ambitious television program. End Summary. -------------- KRG Elections &Go green!8 -------------- ¶2. (U) Beginning with the July 25 elections, political parties are now restricted from using handbill-style campaign posters glued to public walls and buildings. The glue used to attach the posters is considered an environmental hazard, and the tattered posters that linger long after the campaign has ended are considered a visual blight. Parties are also barred from spray painting logos through a stencil onto walls. Handren Salih, the Director of the Erbil Govenorate Election Office (GEO),said that IHEC is considering the provision of a central location where posters can be mounted for viewing, which will be cleaned up following elections. Parties are not restricted from placing political banners around the cities, or from using posters mounted on a rope or wire. These alternatives are considered more environmentally friendly. -------------- Planned Voter Campaigns and Training -------------- ¶3. (SBU) To cover the region, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is planning to open 5,403 voting stations at 1,150 centers. Polling centers may contain multiple stations, and each polling station will be able to accommodate a maximum of 500 voters. IHEC,s three GEOs have hired 310 additional voting center managers. Hiring was completed on May 6, and official acceptance letters were to go out the same day. Handren believes that increased voter education would lead to better turnout and a reduction in spoiled ballots. ¶4. (SBU) IHEC itself will not use a poster campaign as part of its generic voter-education program, as self-assessments following the 2005 elections proved this style of education was not as effective in the KRG as had been hoped. For 2009, both the GEO and KREO believe that mobile teams speaking directly with potential voters will give better results. RRT Erbil is working on funding for a small QRF grant to expand mobile team coverage in Erbil Province. ¶5. (SBU) The Erbil GEO Handren Salih has personally designed a three-pronged voter education campaign, consisting of a newsletter, five mobile public-outreach teams to visit areas outside the city centers, and an ambitious television program. The format for the proposed television series will consist of 27 separate programs, aired nightly on consecutive days. One political party per program will present the party's platform and governance plan for 30 minutes. Following the political presentation, journalists and other political commentators will be permitted to question the candidate and ask for clarifications. Each program would last 45 minutes, with an additional five minutes allotted for Qlast 45 minutes, with an additional five minutes allotted for the political entity of the evening to air a political campaign commercial. During the final 90-minute capstone program, Handren envisions bringing all 27 of the candidates together for a brief two-minute recap of their positions, followed by a climatic debate between the candidates. He has already cut a deal for free airtime on the Nawroz TV network, and is seeking a second small USG QRF grant to fund the stipends for journalists and commentators. ¶6. (SBU) KREO Director Ali Obeid believes that it is not only IHEC,s responsibility to educate voters, and has asked various media outlets to publish educational tracts and the activities of IHEC as a public service. He plans to petition the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs to encourage imams to deliver &get out the vote8 message in Friday BAGHDAD 00001334 002 OF 002 sermons. He wants to work with local universities to pass down messages to students, as he believes that they are &education centers.8 All of this, he explains, is in the public interest and should be part of a volunteer effort by multiple parties. ¶7. (SBU) Political campaigning is legally entitled to begin following the close of the candidate nomination period, and will run from May 22 until July 23, closing two days before Election Day. Ali Obeid stated he believes there will be intense competition in this year's campaigning season. He also reiterated his request for international monitors to be as involved as is possible. (Note: IHEC has prepared invitations for international observers, but was directed to send the letters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad for official distribution). ¶8. (SBU) Comment: As noted in reftel, the campaign season has already (if unofficially) started. RRT will continue to monitor the campaign for harassment and intimidation of voters, and continue to report on elections preparations. We will also continue to explore ways to provide assistance via QRF and other means to support local efforts to prepare for the KRG election as well as the national elections planned for January. End Comment. HILL