Final Report on the Monitoring process of Special Voting in Baghdad and Provinces

Tammuz Organization for Social Development monitored upgrade process of voters’ registry, register of political entities and candidates, follow up of election law adjustment of Iraqi Parliament 2010 and monitor of election campaigns, which started during the period from 12th February till 6th March 2010, where Tammuz Organization issued several reports and recommendations on monitoring of previous election process in Iraq. It also observed special voting in Iraq that happened on 4th March 2010, and 862 observers of both gender went to the special voting stations in Baghdad and provinces.
It is known as the special voting includes employees of the security forces, people who stayed at the hospitals (hospitals that have only one hundred beds and more), and (also includes convicted prisoners less than five years).
During the special voting process, our organization has issued three initial reports on the progress of the process and summarize its reports from our observers about the special voting of the following:
1.Opening of election stations between seven o’clock and eight o’clock.
2.Existence of the security forces to protect the election centers
3.Election propaganda inside and near a number of the election centers in Baghdad and provinces.
4.The performance of Commission at the level of provinces was perfect, but observed a lack of professional experience in a number of cadres of the polling stations in how to implement the Commission’s procedures for special voting, and also noticed a lack in polling papers in a number of election stations in Baghdad and province.
5-We appreciate the cooperation of National Bureau for the Independent Electoral Commission with our organization in solving some of the problems that occurred for a number of our observers not to allow them access to polling stations during the first hour of Voting, also point out that it was not allowed to our observers from entering the polling station in reform prison in Dhi Qar.
6.The problem of the absence of thousands of voters names in the voters’ register for the employees of the security forces in all the provinces, where allowed them elected subsequently by way of conditional voting, probably due reason not to include of the security forces names to the lack of coordination between the security ministries and the Independent Higher Commission for Elections.
7.Thousands of the security forces employees deprived of voting although allowed to vote because they left polling centers and joining the security duties, and although commission also allowed employees of the security forces, who hasn’t find his name in the voters’ register elected to participate in the public polling, but they cannot because of the national duties in protecting the voters !
8.Get messy in quite a number of polling stations because of the failure to regulate the entry members of the security forces, and the use of officers in order to regulate entry into polling stations.
9.It was noticed the presence of international observers in (Baghdad, Kirkuk, Dhi Qar, Basra, Maiysan & Anbar) as well as United State.
10.The influence on voters in some provinces in order to vote for a specific electoral list.
11.Depriving the number of prisoners to vote because they not bring the ration card and the identity card with them.
12.It was recorded a number of complaints from some political entities, and Sulaimaniyah province is topping the number of complaints; it should be noted that the number of stations did not allow managers to register complaints.
13.The presence officers and unauthorized persons bear weapons inside a number of election centers in a number of provinces to promote the election lists.
14.Stable of the security situation and there is no any breaches except Baghdad, Diyala & Nineveh.
15.The continuation of some polling stations in the provinces to vote after five pm, although the Commission did not allow the extension of the voting process, and our observers monitored a number of stations closed its door at five o’clock and opened after six pm in order to continue till eight o’clock as happen in Kirkuk.
16.Updating some election centers in some provinces caused a confusion for voters and observers.
17.Not allowing employees of the Facilities Protection Service (FPS) to vote in the special voting, and after the confusion and resentment, the commission said that they are not covered by the special vote and will take part in the public vote.
18.It is observed numerous cases of voting and no check up the required documents, especially in hospitals.
19.The impact on patient in some polling stations in hospitals in order to elect a specific list.
20.Expel observers and agents of political entities in some polling centers in some provinces under the pretext of the end of voting time, despite the continuation of the voting process.
21.Visit some candidates to the election stations and promote to their election lists.
22.Interfere in declarations on the election process
23.Statements for a number of media to extend the polling period to the six o’clock despite the Commission denied to extend the voting time, but it causes confusion among voters and observers, as well as cadres Commission, as affirmed in our organization in their reports before the election is that any permit extension is already causing confusion and we asked the Commission not to issue decisions confuse the electoral process.

Tammuz Organization for Social Development
6th March.2010