Initial Report No.2 about Voting Process Observation in Baghdad and Provinces

Tammuz Organization for Social Development continues in monitoring elections and control breaches through their observers, and the observers have recorded a number of notes until closing stations at five o’clock in the afternoon.
1. Low turnout of citizens at polling stations although the fatwa by religious references and calling through mosques and even with raising curfew of vehicles in some provinces. According to our initial expectations and according to our notes, the rate of participation arrived to 37% in whole of provinces. Absence of some voters names in some stations affected on the election process such as lack of names 450 families in Hai Miqanic in Baghdad/Karkh because of transferring their name to other agents in Rabab School in district 37 (109304).
2. Low rate of immigrants come to the voting stations in some provinces as Kirkuk. In Baghdad, it has been opened a special station in Hamorabi School (107108) in Resafa 2 for displaced people.
3. Some voters did not found their names in the polling stations despite they were elected in the same stations in previous years and this happen in Babil Primary School (107109)
4. Allow the registered and non-registered media in Electoral Commission to vote in Ishat Shiraton Hotel
5. In Baghdad did not allow for a number of our observers from entering the Rabi’i station and Iskenderun (1074) and station (10746) on the pretext absence of their names in the centers.
6. Separated security accidents in some regions in different provinces. An explosion occurred in Jurf al-Sakhar north of Babil and voice bombs near of hospitals. In Salah al-Din also fell voice bombs and mortars for purpose of terrifying voters and confuse the security situation.
7. In some stations, the voters did not voted with identity card where allow for a number of them to vote depended on Q card of retired salary in the electoral station (107109) Babil Primary School.
8. Some candidates, political parties and electoral lists promote for their lists in largely provinces such as lists (404, 411, 419, 473, 492 & 429) and other lists with low rate, including some attorneys distribute publications of their lists, and there is propagandas of these lists within the electoral station with less of legal distance, and some candidates is roaming inside stations and call voters to elect them.
9. Using government vehicles and cars to spread the electoral propaganda through transferring citizens to the polling stations and distribute the electoral propaganda of their lists, well as exploitation vehicles of office of Karbala Province to promote list 419 series 17.
10. Some employees of polling stations exploit illiteracy voters and they help them in chose the list to support their lists such as in Ahlul Bait Station in Kufa, where there is an illiteracy supporter for list 510 demand of head of station to chose this list, but he refers to list 411, and this behavior raise angry of voter because he misleading him and make him chose other list. The same problem in al-Swais Station in Kufa
11. Lack of experience of political entities attorneys where age some of them are less then 17 years and untrained to observe such as this big process
12. Using vehicles of many lists after raising curfew in some provinces to promote for candidates.

Tammuz Organization for Social Development
At six o’clock in the afternoon
20th of April.2013