VOTER REGISTRATION UPATE DRAWS IHEC INTO KIRKUK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 002243 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2019 TAGS: KDEM PGOV IZ SUBJECT: VOTER REGISTRATION UPATE DRAWS IHEC INTO KIRKUK DEBATE REF: BAGHDAD 261 Classified By: Classified by Political Minister-Counselor Gary A. Grapp o for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The national voter registration update (VRU) originally scheduled to begin August 15, has been postponed for a week as the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has been drawn into sectarian politics over the disputed province of Kirkuk. Although the VRU period will open nationwide on August 22, new voters in Kirkuk, Ninewa, and Diyala will be required to present proof of residency. IHEC appears to have imposed this new requirement in response to pressure from non-Kurd politicians concerned about a sudden shift in Kirkuk's sectarian balance, a development that raises concerns about the extent to which IHEC will be able to insulate the electoral process from political manipulation. The U.S. Mission is actively providing support through UNAMI and NGOs to strengthen IHEC's ability to implement the VRU process and, eventually, run a credible election in January. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Beginning August 22, IHEC will invite Iraqi citizens to update their voter registration information at 1,079 Voter Registration Centers across all 18 provinces. During the VRU period, eligible voters not on the registry can register, voters on the current registry can update their information, and request the deletion of deceased family members. The last VRU in Iraq took place in 2008, when IHEC processed the updates submitted by 2.9 million Iraqi voters. The VRU was scheduled to begin on August 15, but was delayed by a week due to logistical difficulties and political wrangling over the perceived ramifications the update could have on the status of Kirkuk. ¶3. (SBU) By law, Iraq has a passive voter registration system, meaning they are automatically registered to vote when they register for a food ration card with the Public Distribution System (PDS) and do not need to initiate their own registration. Approximately 96% of all Iraqis receive food rations through the PDS, which is administered by the Ministry of Trade. Currently, about 18 million of Iraq's estimated 30 million citizens are registered to vote. The VRU allows Iraqi citizens to voluntarily update their information on the voter register. Notwithstanding the passive voter registration system, the VRU is a critical opportunity for every eligible Iraqi citizen to verify that he/she is registered correctly and able to vote in his/her place or residency. During the 2009 provincial elections, there were thousands of reports of voters who were unable to find their names on the list or visited the wrong polling station (reftel). -------------- Internally Displaced Persons -------------- ¶4. (SBU) IDP voters may register for absentee voting in the province where they live if they do not want to return to the province of their origin in order to vote. In preparing the voter register, IHEC uses the database of the Ministry of Displacement and Migration (MoDM),and its counterpart in Kurdistan, to include the names of eligible IDPs. If an IDP is already included on the voter register from a previous VRU, he or she can make changes at a nearby VRC. If an IDP is not already listed in the Voter Register, then he or she will need to visit his/her preferred VRC with a copy of the confirmation letter issued by MoDM (or authorized parties in Kurdistan). IDPs may update the location of their polling center without affecting their claims of residency. -------------- IHEC Drawn Into Kirkuk Question QIHEC Drawn Into Kirkuk Question -------------- ¶5. (SBU) IHEC Commissioners and international advisors have stated repeatedly that the VRU is unrelated to the question of Kirkuk's status and that the process should be identical in all 18 provinces. However, last week, Poloffs heard grumbling from a variety of contacts at IHEC that the commissioners were becoming concerned about the VRU in Kirkuk. A member of the IFES assistance team embedded at IHEC told PolOff that several members of IHEC's Board held a meeting on August 11 with Arab and Turkomen members of the Council of Representatives (COR) concerned that because the VRU contains no residency requirement, Kurdish leaders would register Kurds from outside the province and distort the sectarian balance in the province. They cited rumors that the Kurds had produced falsified Ministry of Trade PDS letters that would allow Kurds to claim residency in Kirkuk. (NOTE: At an August 12 visit to Kirkuk, PRT and UNAMI BAGHDAD 00002243 002 OF 003 contacts claimed that the general population lacks confidence in IHEC and its procedures because of alleged fraudulent registration in the 2005 national elections. They added that people perceive the VRU to be a mini-census, which could undermine the apolitical, technical nature of the VRU. Although there is voter education on how to register, there is little information on how the information collected in the VRU will be used. END NOTE.) ¶6. (C) IFES and IAET officials strongly advised IHEC not to bend to pressure from COR members to institute special requirements for Kirkuk, but the Board did not accept this advice. An IFES advisor informed us on August 13 that IHEC decided to require proof of residency for any additions or changes to the registry in Ninewa, Kirkuk, and Diyala provinces. This requirement is met by showing a residency certificate or letter issued by municipal authorities. The same advisor opined that the inclusion of Ninewa and Diyala was intended to deflect attention from Kirkuk. IHEC's board has formally amended the procedures to reflect these special provisions and Commissioners have made informal comments to the media, but there has still been no formal press statement or message to political entities. -------------- Process, Public Outreach -------------- ¶7. (SBU) As part of the VRU, IHEC officials plan to deliver a Voter Information Card (VIC) to every citizen in Iraq through an ambitious door-to-door campaign being carried out by 1,300 IHEC-trained teams. When voters receive the VIC, they can verify that their information is correct and that they are registered for a polling center located near their residence. If a citizen wishes to change his voter registration information, he may go to his voter registration center and submit the updated information. Both IHEC officials and international advisors providing technical assistance admit that the nationwide VIC distribution campaign is ambitious. One international advisor commented that if 70-80% of the cards are distributed, the campaign will have been successful. Since the campaign began on August 10, 1.6 million VICs have been distributed and the campaign is underway in every province. ¶8. (C) In addition to the VICs, IHEC will also run public service announcements via broadcast media to educate voters about the VRU process. According to IHEC Commissioner Judge Qasim Sajet, a study done by IHEC after the 2009 provincial elections found that 80% of Iraqis got their news from radio and television. Thus, IHEC's public outreach campaign has focused on broadcast media. IHEC is also producing a series of billboards, posters, and brochures that will explain the VRU process and clarify that the VIC is merely a record of the current registry, rather than a voter identification card, and is not required to vote. -------------- USG Support for the VRU -------------- ¶9. (C) Technical assistance to IHEC is being provided by the UNAMI Electoral Assistance Team and IFES, a USAID contractor. State Department grantees like NDI and IRI provide training for political parties and civil society organizations to assist them in playing a constructive role in the VRU. IHEC's funding from the COR is a perennial problem. To date, only USD 10 million of the USD 40 million budget request for the VRU has been transferred to IHEC. These funding constraints have diminished IHEC's capacity to implement a robust public outreach campaign, although UNAMI contacts tell us that IHEC has been able to obtain "credit" based on a Qus that IHEC has been able to obtain "credit" based on a verbal commitment by PM Maliki to ensure funding for the VRU and the elections themselves. ¶10. (C) In response to a letter from IHEC Commissioner Qasim, the commissioner responsible for public outreach, requesting USG assistance in augmenting the reach of IHEC's outreach campaign, we have assembled an assistance package drawing from DRL grantees and Mission resources. IREX has produced two animated PSAs that will be broadcast before and during the VRU on two of Iraq's major networks. IRI is producing another television ad that will be broadcast during a similar timeframe on four major channels. The Embassy's Military Information Support Team (MIST) moved quickly to produce a third PSA that gives clear instructions on what citizens should do if they do not receive a VIC. The Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) also have funding for small grants that can benefit voter education projects hosted by local NGOs. ¶11. (C) IHEC has formally invited international observers to BAGHDAD 00002243 003 OF 003 monitor the entire national election process, beginning with the VRU and concluding with the vote tabulation in late January. Consistent with Mission security requirements, we will stage a modest observation effort of the VRU process. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶12. (C) IHEC's decision to adopt special procedures for three northern provinces reflects IHEC's vulnerability to political influence and could lead to perceptions that the VRU has been politicized because of concerns over Kirkuk. Now intermingled in one of the most divisive sectarian issues in the country, IHEC's application of these new regulations makes it subject to intense scrutiny by both sides of the Kirkuk issue. On the other hand, IHEC has taken a step forward in ensuring that citizens of all provinces participate in the national elections. HILL HILL