Iraq Preliminary official results ready 1-2 days after Iraqi polls close

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission came to the Kurdistan Region addressing voters, foreign diplomats, and NGOs of the election process, the role of observers, touching on the new electronic voting system, communication, security, and diaspora concerns.

Saed Kakei, a Kurdish member of the board of the election body commissioners, revealed at the conference in Erbil on Thursday that "preliminary results" should be expected "24-48 hours" after polls close at 6 p.m. on May 12.

Iraq is using an electronic ballot counting system and voting card system with fingerprint biometrics.

Remote areas in the Kurdistan Region are often mountainous and locals have questioned whether the new system will work.

Kakei explained the IHEC has made every effort to address these concerns. The data will be transmitted via satellite back to Baghdad after polls close.

"That's the case in cities or in remote areas..." he said. “We have about 60,000 machines for the date of the election; 56,000 machines will be connected to the satellite and to our servers."

The system, which has been used in Korea, also has safeguards in place to prevent tampering and hacking.

It will then take 6-10 hours for the memory cards to be sent from polling stations across the country to Baghdad, but because of voting abroad and time differences in various countries, “We will wait until the final data arrives ... from the minute the polls close ... it will take 24-48 hours" said Kakei, explaining the wirelessly transmitted data will need to be compared with the card data.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m.

"We have provided 11 hours of voting time ... We truly believe the voters are going to come and vote," said Kakei.

Kurdistan Region, Iraq welcome international observers

Falah Mustafa, the head of the KRG's Department of Foreign Relations, welcomed the IHEC and attendees, including foreign diplomats and NGO representatives.

"The election observation activities are a vital part of fostering democracy and ensuring free and fair elections around the world — and especially in developing countries such as Iraq," said Mustafa.

Locals and internationals will observe the election process.

It's often said, 'It's not the voting that's democracy, it's the counting, and then for the results to be accepted by all without any challenge,' " Mustafa said.

Kakei called it his "hope and honor" to invite the observers to carry out their work.

"We truly appreciate the significant role played by international observation teams in the previous elections held by our instruction," he said. "We truly have the vision to hold this election as fairly as possible."

"There are no barriers for you," Kakei concluded, speaking to potential observers.

Is commission's Kurdish language poor?

The election body does have websites in Arabic, Kurdish, and English, but its official Twitter account is in Arabic. Kurdish social media are linked to inactive accounts from 2013. Its official Facebook page has explainers in Kurdish.

Some explanations in Kurdish use irregular phrases and terms that Kurdish people describe as "awkward" or not at a native level, including misspellings.

Kakei specifically was asked about Kurdish translations during the Q&A session.

"We have a translation department at the electoral office in Baghdad. We have Kurdish employees. They have done the translation, and I personally did the proofing of the translations. I'm known as a writer, a Kurdish writer," said Kakei, noting he has published books in Kurdish, Arabic, and English.

The Arabic language and the Kurdish language are the two official languages of Iraq, according to the constitution.

"So when it comes to the issues of translation, we do not have issues with the translation in the software and in the materials attached to the machines."

Security on voting day

US-led international anti-ISIS commanders have expressed concern about security, particularly in Anbar ahead of elections. Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitaries, a part of the parliamentary-recognized Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), local officials in Kirkuk and its surrounding areas have stated concerns about repeated attacks on forces and locals.

On April 22, ISIS threatened attacks on election day.

"There is a High Security Committee that has been put together and coordinates with IHEC," said Kakei.


He explained that it is comprised of Iraq's ministry of defense, interior, as well as the KRG's ministries of Peshmerga and interior.

"There is collaboration and cooperation between these security establishments, or organizations to provide security at the polling stations for the voters," added the election body member.

Kakei said IHEC will deal with "documented, professional complaints."

"We work by the rule of law," he said. "We deal with professional complaints, not through hearsay ... We are committed to having a successful election."

The vote abroad

Kakei explained that there are 20 international voting centers in locales with large Iraqi expatriate concentrations.

"With the help of the diplomatic corps in Iraq, especially the embassies, consulates, and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Foreign Relations for the KRG, we have been able to get into agreements with 13 countries to open offices — that each office may have 3-15 centers, each with 5-8 polling centers," said Kakei.

The commission relied on data from Baghdad and Erbil.

"Accordingly we've opened these offices and centers so that the concentration of the expatriates is more than 10,000, then a center opens. If it's more than 100,000 then, an office opens," explained Kakei.

Some diaspora voters have questioned participating in the election.

"Plus in seven countries we have opened centers for the expatriates to go and vote," he added.

Commission staff from Iraq has gone to the countries to open the offices, which "are supplied with the same machines you see here."

Iraqis will select their next 329 members of the Council of Representatives on May 12.

Article Credit: https://www.rudaw.net/mobile/english/middleeast/iraq/030520182
Special Thanks to Charles Bright!!