High Risks & Dangers on Personal Security of Voters in the recent Iraqi elections in 2014

Elections Security Breaches and Concerns by Iraq Surveys ISS

In recent elections held in Iraq and in Numerous Centres in Other countries ISS Concentrated on a few interesting procedures that were taken in 2014 in comparison to the previous elections in 2010. In this Short report we wish to express our high concern for the privacy and personal safety of citizens who chose to participate in these elections.

The General Environment

The 2014 Elections comes in a very critical time in Iraq where security is a major challenge. 6 of Iraq's 18 provinces are outside the control on Nouri Al Maliki and Battles are raging daily between Tribes that revolted to defend their rights and cities in retaliation to Maliki's Attack in January. Terror Groups also active giving Nouri the Media coverage he needs to request aid from international powers in the name of Fighting Terror. Southern Provinces are furious on failures of the Maliki Government to deliver services. Kurdish Provinces in serious conflict with Baghdad government on financial & Oil exporting Issues. Election Centres have been attacked or mortared in areas, and thousands of displaced Iraqis from the fighting in Anbar were forced to vote in provinces other than theirs mostly from Erbil. Unlike 2010 In which elections were previously held in a considerably safer environment, this 2014 elections was carried out not only in an environment that should have dictated Its postponement in the interest of voters safety and electoral process credibility but also several new & interesting procedures conclude that the persistence in pursuing the elections in these grave circumstances were the result of numerous pressures from within the installed political precess and from regional & international ones each for its own sets of reasons and interests.

The Voting Cards

Early March Iraq Surveys received an image of Voting cards that were issued to selected voters one classified and civilian and others Military. The problem was that cards belonged to the same person and only the serial numbers, addresses & Electoral centre were changed on Ids in order for it to go undetected by the electoral database search tool. This allows the person to elect any specified candidate more than once discrediting the hole implemented procedure altogether. Never-the-less, the electoral commission avoids commenting as it had no logical explanation to this issue leaked by us to local and international media at the time.

Changing regulations during electoral process along with other breaches

The electoral process outside Iraq was different from that held inside Iraq. In the UK 5 centres where open according to the Iraqi Embassy website where a very large concentration of Iraqi expats actually live mainly immigrants or refugees, In Iran 18 electoral centres were open where Iraqis are not known to live in high concentrations. Centres outside did not have fingerprint and ID card matching machines used inside Iraq and had to rely on Two Ids one main such as a Personal ID card or Passport along with a supporting document issued by the country of residence. Some Monitors of competing parties complained of orders coming to the centres over the phone and with no documented procedures rules or regulations forcing hundreds of Iraqis to return without casing their votes, after which regulations would be changed mid day after voters leave to accept their previously refused G class passports for hours earlier that day. This was a documented case among others by monitors.

Video Footage Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHUeRrFQPq8

Some fights & arguments also occurred by voters and corrupt Iraqi officials who fled the country after scandalous news coverage and under the protection of Maliki himself. The Metropolitan Police had to intervene after an previous official's (Falah Sudani) Son (Musaab) head banged a voter (Haidar Al Miyahi) after a comment was made asking the official's son where is Iraq's stolen money. The Police arrested the Son after the attack.

Musaab Falah Sudani Arrested Corrupt Falah Sudani Haidr AL Miyahi

Video Footage Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQlj3QsWsqI

Another Argument happened in Washington between some Kurdish electorial officials and Arab Voters when some tried to rip the Iraqi flag off from the Wall at the entrance of the voting centre. Turned out to be a provocation on the part of the organisers. Despite the commotion, no fight actually broke, out the electoral official to the surprise of all decides to call 911.

Video Footage Link

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=240062352851367&set=vb.144295499094720&type=3&theater

Thousands of voters mainly from the Army tired of failing combat missions complained that their names were not even listed as allowed to vote in designated centres, no explanation to this issue has been released.

Civilians in displaced areas from the fighting were listed to vote along with the army in the first two days to their surprise. when they turned up to vote they were told they should have voted with the army two days earlier. Their votes were not casted.

The Finger Print Readers

People also complained that the fingerprint reader on the ID database matching units did not function, the reader could not be linked to the ID after confirmation from the Database. A new procedure was set to ask voters to sign manually and add their names and phone numbers to a form. This linked with another serious breach could prove dangerous to the personal safety of Voters in grave times in Iraq. Especially if your information is shared with the greatly unpopular Maliki Regime.

Further TV coverage on Baghdadia Tv reveal that the electoral commission had tested the equipment prior and 19 percent of the unites did not function, coincidentally most of these machines were assigned to cities not falling under full control or influence of the Maliki government. And that the Commission director & spokesman had signed a document on the 19th of February 2014 on this matter mentioning a total of 61,882 votes not taken by the system during testing.

Link to footage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vULvxLXlS1c

The Ominous Barcode

New election forms were used in 2014, one of the most dangerous breaches was the addition of a serial number and a matching GS1 barcode on every form giving it an identifying factor that can be linked immediately to the voter's ID gathering a treasure trove of information on the lenience of each individual voter vote-wise. This information is at the illegal disposal of the electoral commission, the ruling, controlling or competing parties of the failing installed political process on one end or any interested party or embassy that may have access to the information on the other end. In a country where assassinations, killings and forced migration are part of the daily routine, this information may prove deadly to anyone who's vote is not as wanted by whoever is involved.

The Comment box on the bottom of the voting sheet clearly instructs the person in-charge to make sure that the barcode is scanned while he checks The electoral ID of the voter on the same device so you have the ID, Fingerprint an the Voting sheet all linked together.

Form Booklets

The Voting form booklets too had matching serial number on the top, this way even when you tear out a voting sheet the serial numbers are on the top edge of the remaining edge. When asked, an electoral official in London centre said that each hour these booklets are renewed, when asked what if there are remaining forms in each booklet left at the end of each hour, do you destroy the remaining forms ?

The response was these remaining edges and any remaining forms are left together and are packed & sealed nothing was found filmed or photographed to prove this, later in the day we received an image from one of the monitors with all the boxed sealed but one. Any remaining form not used from the used serial numbered booklets can easily be added to any unsealed boxes.

The Aftermath

After the elections ended all parties boasted that they are the ultimate winners prior to the results being released, Initial results were posted and each Media outlet favoured the candidate they promote, then tensions increased in certain areas in Baghdad between Maliki supporters and supporters of the Sadr and also Al Hakim, Representatives from each party then when to explain their opinions to embassies and international organisations like the UN. By evening a SWAT force was sent By Maliki to the highly populated Sadr City where they entered an electoral centre, threw out the monitors, confiscated the ballot boxes and left. Some skirmishes did occur in areas around Baghdad and Maliki has put the army and security forces on alert. Other ballot boxes are being manually counted in Baghdad Fair exhibition grounds after all media was instructed to tone down aggressive statements which politicians and embassies try to mediate a way out, competitors to Maliki are promoting that a one party government is not possible and that an coalition government is the only option to try and budge down unilateral action by Maliki who will not let go of Power.

Breaking news headline of Baghdadiah TV of the Sadr City Ballot box snatching incident

Flashback

on the 25th of march 2014 the electoral commission made a group resignation in protest to pressures and threats made my political parties mainly Nouri Al Maliki and were then persuaded by parliament to go back to their positions.

Link:http://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/1734c7dd-7417-4096-8b2e-83b799a85117

During campaigning, a secular well reputed Candidate of Notable competence, education & expertise in the Oil sector was banned from elections under the pretext of wasting government funds when he was not even a government employee, he then was accused of being a member of the old regime when his career had no evidence of him even supporting the Iraqi government prior to the 2003 occupation. With limited personal funds and not enjoying the funds available to the corrupt political parties in Iraq he had set out to campaign himself directly to the Iraqi people, TV channels also started interviewing him when they found out of his expulsion. Forced to accept that it was a mistake he was let back only two days back into the election, strangely the booklet or directory which was available at the electoral centre which listed all the candidates and was definitely printed at least one month prior to elections had everyone listed but Dr Mohammad Salih Zaini, candidate No 18 was mysteriously removed during printing. This event raises many questions on who really runs this electoral commission in Iraq.

Final thoughts

With all the sectarian practices of the Maliki government, all the killings, the Genocide of Iraqis under the pretext of combating terror, the struggle to maintain power, all the scandalous corruption of his 8 year reign, 4 of which were due to the retreat of Awad Allawi and the giveaway of the 2010 elections and the continued meddling of the US and Iran in Iraq's Politics, One can only conclude that Maliki has put himself in a position where the release of power may translate into future court cases against him and member of his family. He has no other option but to escape forward and cling to power. The US may prefer to keep him regardless of election results while Iran would prefer to replace him with Al Hakim to preserve the political process it has been allowed to create in Iraq Under US supervision and to calm down the Iraqi street's discontent with Maliki but claiming that AlHakim is change long awaited and a saviour like no other either alone or by forming a coalition with others such as the Sadr or even the Kurds, final outcome of this elections will not be clear for some time as all these elements quickly scramble to save the political process and maintain the regional and international image that everything in Iraq is running smooth. One can only remember That Her Hilter was elected into office by democratic mechanisms !!

A cartoonist sums it all up

While the image of a woman casting Two votes on the independent leaves one speechless !!

1st of May 2015