Iraq faces a long list of electoral challenges
Electoral risks are a set of difficulties and challenges facing the implementation of any election, whether due to external or internal factors. Any possibility of harm as a result of such challenges, or other negative effects due to external or internal shortcomings in the electoral process, must be avoided through adequate preventive measures.
The goal in identifying these risks is to understand the degree of the risks and challenges and ways of addressing them by the body managing the elections (the commission) and partners in the electoral process. In fact, there is no place in the world in which a perfect election takes place or in ideal political and security conditions. The degree of safe and stable conditions varies from one country to another.
The body managing the elections must face those risks and challenges, managing and responding to them in order to develop appropriate solutions.
Internal risks include all risks and challenges facing the internal environment of the elections, they lie within the administration of the party running the elections or they at least have an effective influence on them.
Electoral risks, whether internal or external, threaten the electoral process at all stages in any country starting with: the legal framework, planning and preparation for the elections, voter education and training, period of voter registration and filing appeals, election campaigns, the voting process, vote counting, and announcing the results, and the post-election period.
The impact of both types of electoral risks does not appear equally except during the voting period and the announcement of the results.
Internal risks include the following:
1. The legal framework, including the existence of problems and loopholes in election laws
The electoral law
Applying an electoral law that has technical problems and is not agreed upon, or applying an unfair electoral system that does not lead to broad political participation in the constitutional institutions of the state.
The law of the body administering the elections
For example, the weakness or inefficiency of the party administering the elections, insufficient administrative and financial systems to conduct the elections, or the lack of confidence in the party that administers the elections by a large portion of the citizens.
The political parties law
For example, there are loopholes in the law regulating the work of political parties or difficult conditions to apply for an official permit, or the existence of texts within the law based on discrimination and differentiation between the people’s political, cultural, ethnic, sectarian and social components, or the presence of bureaucratic problems in the registration and approval of political parties.
Laws governing procedures for complaints and appeals
For example, the existence of an unfair or inadequate system for resolving electoral disputes, or the existence of long legal periods for resolving complaints and appeals, which leads to delaying the announcement of the final results.
2. Lack of electoral awareness among voters and partners in the electoral process
The low level of electoral awareness about the importance of the role of the voter, the individual, and political trends in bringing about political and societal changes is one of the continuing dangers that threaten the elections, especially in Iraq. Weak electoral awareness includes all partners in the electoral process, including voters, political parties, the media, and others.
3. Technical and procedural issues
For example, there are problems, loopholes, and unfairness in the voter registration mechanisms, or in the conditions for candidacy, and doubts about the use of technology in elections. There is incomplete, confused and inconsistent planning. There is a weakness in providing the necessary funding and budget to organize the elections. There are weaknesses and gaps in the security plans and arrangements to ensure regular conduct of the electoral process, whether with regard to protecting candidates, protecting polling stations and offices of the commission, or protecting the voters on polling day.
4. Insufficient training
There is insufficient training of polling officials and lack of or insufficient training for members of political parties, candidates, authorized people and agents of political parties. The same is the case with the training of journalists, media, and local observers of non-governmental organizations, trade unions, as well as the weak training of the security services with regard to their dealing with voters and the media on polling day.
5. Distortion campaigns and threats to the body administering the elections
The body that manages elections in developing countries is often faced with organized political distortion and misrepresentation campaigns led by parties affiliated with ruling parties or opposition parties, which leads to a lack of confidence in that body by the voters, or the entire democratic and political process in the country.
6. Weak voter education campaign
These campaigns could be characterized by their lack of influence, whether directed by the body that administers the elections, civil society organizations, media, political parties, and government institutions.
7. Nepotism in media coverage of electoral news and campaigns and the spread of inequality within society, especially for candidates in accessing the media
The use of propaganda by some political parties and candidates incites and provokes segments of society, and infringes and insults electoral campaigns of both opposition parties and candidates from the parties in power. And most important of all, the deliberate abuse of women, especially women candidates, and the underestimation of their capabilities in the media and social media.
8. Challenges during voting, counting, and announcing the results
Risks are due to the lack of transparency in the special voting mechanisms, the exact numbers of voters abroad, and the presence of technical and logistical problems on the day of polling, the lack of transparency in the process of counting and sorting out the votes and the mechanism for announcing the results, delay in the process of announcing the results, whether preliminary or final, poor management of electoral dispute resolutions, submission of appeals, and the mechanism and deadlines for deciding on them. What is more dangerous is the process of rejecting the election results by some parties, especially those that have armed wings or militias.
Sarbast Mustafa is the former chairman of the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.
The goal in identifying these risks is to understand the degree of the risks and challenges and ways of addressing them by the body managing the elections (the commission) and partners in the electoral process. In fact, there is no place in the world in which a perfect election takes place or in ideal political and security conditions. The degree of safe and stable conditions varies from one country to another.
The body managing the elections must face those risks and challenges, managing and responding to them in order to develop appropriate solutions.
Internal risks include all risks and challenges facing the internal environment of the elections, they lie within the administration of the party running the elections or they at least have an effective influence on them.
Electoral risks, whether internal or external, threaten the electoral process at all stages in any country starting with: the legal framework, planning and preparation for the elections, voter education and training, period of voter registration and filing appeals, election campaigns, the voting process, vote counting, and announcing the results, and the post-election period.
The impact of both types of electoral risks does not appear equally except during the voting period and the announcement of the results.
Internal risks include the following:
1. The legal framework, including the existence of problems and loopholes in election laws
The electoral law
Applying an electoral law that has technical problems and is not agreed upon, or applying an unfair electoral system that does not lead to broad political participation in the constitutional institutions of the state.
The law of the body administering the elections
For example, the weakness or inefficiency of the party administering the elections, insufficient administrative and financial systems to conduct the elections, or the lack of confidence in the party that administers the elections by a large portion of the citizens.
The political parties law
For example, there are loopholes in the law regulating the work of political parties or difficult conditions to apply for an official permit, or the existence of texts within the law based on discrimination and differentiation between the people’s political, cultural, ethnic, sectarian and social components, or the presence of bureaucratic problems in the registration and approval of political parties.
Laws governing procedures for complaints and appeals
For example, the existence of an unfair or inadequate system for resolving electoral disputes, or the existence of long legal periods for resolving complaints and appeals, which leads to delaying the announcement of the final results.
2. Lack of electoral awareness among voters and partners in the electoral process
The low level of electoral awareness about the importance of the role of the voter, the individual, and political trends in bringing about political and societal changes is one of the continuing dangers that threaten the elections, especially in Iraq. Weak electoral awareness includes all partners in the electoral process, including voters, political parties, the media, and others.
3. Technical and procedural issues
For example, there are problems, loopholes, and unfairness in the voter registration mechanisms, or in the conditions for candidacy, and doubts about the use of technology in elections. There is incomplete, confused and inconsistent planning. There is a weakness in providing the necessary funding and budget to organize the elections. There are weaknesses and gaps in the security plans and arrangements to ensure regular conduct of the electoral process, whether with regard to protecting candidates, protecting polling stations and offices of the commission, or protecting the voters on polling day.
4. Insufficient training
There is insufficient training of polling officials and lack of or insufficient training for members of political parties, candidates, authorized people and agents of political parties. The same is the case with the training of journalists, media, and local observers of non-governmental organizations, trade unions, as well as the weak training of the security services with regard to their dealing with voters and the media on polling day.
5. Distortion campaigns and threats to the body administering the elections
The body that manages elections in developing countries is often faced with organized political distortion and misrepresentation campaigns led by parties affiliated with ruling parties or opposition parties, which leads to a lack of confidence in that body by the voters, or the entire democratic and political process in the country.
6. Weak voter education campaign
These campaigns could be characterized by their lack of influence, whether directed by the body that administers the elections, civil society organizations, media, political parties, and government institutions.
7. Nepotism in media coverage of electoral news and campaigns and the spread of inequality within society, especially for candidates in accessing the media
The use of propaganda by some political parties and candidates incites and provokes segments of society, and infringes and insults electoral campaigns of both opposition parties and candidates from the parties in power. And most important of all, the deliberate abuse of women, especially women candidates, and the underestimation of their capabilities in the media and social media.
8. Challenges during voting, counting, and announcing the results
Risks are due to the lack of transparency in the special voting mechanisms, the exact numbers of voters abroad, and the presence of technical and logistical problems on the day of polling, the lack of transparency in the process of counting and sorting out the votes and the mechanism for announcing the results, delay in the process of announcing the results, whether preliminary or final, poor management of electoral dispute resolutions, submission of appeals, and the mechanism and deadlines for deciding on them. What is more dangerous is the process of rejecting the election results by some parties, especially those that have armed wings or militias.
Sarbast Mustafa is the former chairman of the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.