Initial Report to observe Elections of Provisional Councils on 21st of April.2013

Tammuz Organization for Social Development and Sun Network for Monitoring Elections present their initial report including a series of reports to follow election process, and this report is to observe the public balloting of provisional councils on 20th of April.2013
Two parties held a number of meetings in Baghdad for the purpose of coordination and cooperation between the two largest institutions in the field of elections in Iraq about Iraqi provincial elections on 20th of April.2013.
Two parties affirmed on the full coordination between coordinators and observers in whole provinces to be able of monitoring the largest possible number of election stations.
They agreed to hold press conference on Sunday 21st of April.2013 to show their initial reports about the election process of provincial councils in Iraq.
After this report we will show the final report by two institutions, and it will deal with provincial council elections process after approved on the results of elections.

Initial Report about the public balloting to elections of provincial councils:
The elections of provincial councils in 12 provinces and in Kurdistan, Kirkuk, Nineveh and Anbar did not include any surprises for Tammuz and Sun institutions, whether the rate of polling or the nature of security situations that was semi stable.
It has been controlled 7111 observers from Tammuz and Sun, and they distributed on 7000 stations among 45000 in whole of provinces without reputations.
The participation rate of voters was about 46% of total number of recorded voters, and although the presence of a few numbers those who have been deprived of their right to vote, but this ratio is a good indicator.
In addition to the presence of commission staff in the early morning and the arrival of basic necessities (records, paper ballot, ink etc …) to the majority of the polling stations in time within a large presence of agents of the local political entities and observers with the presence of a smaller number of international observers, and this positive presence gave support and transparency of the elections process.
Here we recoded our notes on the ratio that the commission has declared it %51, where it is not reflect the real participation to number of voters for the total number of voters in whole provinces of Iraq because it depends on the public rate of participants not the voters and This is what is different in terms of the number of voters who are eligible to vote between province to other as Samaoa and Baghdad. In mathematical way, the number of voters in the whole of Iraq who are entitled to vote 13800000 voters and the number of voters is 6477000 and to 50% it should be realized that the number of voters 6900000 and this is not achieved.

Among the most prominent are monitored by two institutions 300 breaches, and the positive sides of the election were as following:
1. Continuing the election propaganda inside and outer of the election stations by a number of political and candidate entities although the determined media silence by the Independent High Electoral Commission.
2. Exploitation the state institutions and their equipment, including vehicles by some officials, entities and candidates to support the electoral propaganda.
3. Absence of many of the names of voters and the presence errors in it despite that their names were registered in the previous election, and applies to vote displaced.
4. Not taking into account the population numbers of voters in remote areas, in particular, when the distribution of polling stations and terminals
5. Inefficiency of some of the cadres of the Electoral Commission in the management of the electoral centers and stations, in addition to the lack of analysis with neutrality
6. Prevent the number of observers and agents of political entities from entering the centers or give a chance to control the entire process
7. Allowing in some polling stations to exercise voting on behalf of some of the citizens, as well as allowing collective vote at the same time, and this is a violation of the ballot secrecy, and monitoring exploitation of illiterates in some cases
8. Not checking documents of voters in a number of polling stations.
9. Allowed for journalists and non-journalists in voting the assigned polling station for media
10. Instability security in some areas such as Baghdad, Babil and Diyala, Salahuddin.


Security Bodies:
1. Although high discipline and neutrality that characterized the behavior of the armed forces and internal security in the protection of the electoral process, but we spotted several cases in some provinces, “urge” voters to vote for a certain list.
2. Prevent many observers and voters from reaching or entering the polling stations by the security authorities’ arguments unconvincing.
3. The presence a few of the security forces even within the voting hall and are hampering the movement of voters and confusion happens on ensuring privacy in voting.

Recommendations:
Tammuz and Sun Network call to:
– Accelerate the implementation of the census to number of voters and their home areas, in order to achieve the best guarantee and the division is suitable to distribute of voters, and to ensure that any deprivation of citizens of the electoral right as a result of the incomplete of the current electoral register
– Postpone the issuance of the parties’ law, which regulates sources of funding, and comply with the instructions of the Independent Electoral Commission, and in particular the non-use of state property for the benefit of any entity competing in elections
– Ensure higher efficiency of all cadres of the Electoral Commission, both in terms of management level or neutral or boldness in immediate termination of any bypass from any party whether political entity or a candidate in order to protect the electoral process
– Calculating the halls capacity and approaches of the polling stations and its terminals and determine places that are most appropriate and consistent with the criteria in such a way without blocking or disrupting the electoral process
– Work on more transparency and announce the private and public registry to confirm them and give all registered entities and observers’ copy of the form to the stations results on the public and private polling
– Work to accelerate the announcement of the results of the ballot in the shortest period after the closure of the ballot box, in order to avoid what might encourage raise doubts about the safety of sorting and counting.

It was mentioned that what has to monitor the electoral process in full for all stages since issue the election law until now arriving to the certification announcement of commission to the results with the voluntary efforts for observers and self-potential of organizations, the organizations consider it a good indicator for the voluntary contribution and sense of responsibility among young people.