PRESS CONFERENCE: Spokesmen, Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission, Police Security, Jan. 26, 2009
Multi-National Force-Iraq
Judge Kassem[ph] al-Boudi[ph], spokesman, Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission, and Maj. Gen. Aiden Khaled Qadir, deputy minister and director of Iraqi Police Security, Iraqi Ministry of Interior.
PRESS CONFERENCE:
Judge Kassem[ph] al-Boudi[ph], Spokesman, Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC)
Major General Aiden Khaled Qadir, Deputy Minister and Director of Iraqi Police Security, Iraqi Ministry of Interior
DATE: January 26, 2009
TRANSCRIBED BY: SOS INTERNATIONAL LTD.
PARTICIPANTS:
Judge Kassem[ph]
Major General Aiden
REPORTERS:
Ayad[ph] from EVA News Agency
Lourdes Garcia-Navarro from National Public Radio
James Seraeus[ph] from Global Justice Project
Jacqueline[ph] Frank from IREX[ph]
Ali from National Radio
Unidentified reporter from Daya[ph] Salaam[ph] Radio, Anadulya[ph] News Agency, Wufak Iraqi Newspaper, and Freedom Radio
REPORTERS 1-13
REP1 = REPORTER 1
INT = INTERPRETER
[PH] = PHONETIC SPELLING
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Let undersecre-...Deputy Minister and Director of Iraqi Police Security at First for the Ministry of Interior. As you all are aware, 28 of the current month, the special electoral centers are going to open their door for the police and Army individuals, and also detainees at prisons and detention facilities and hospital residents, so they can cast their votes. The numbers have...of voters have reached 6,014,998 voters. The centers are 371.
As for the procedures taken to prevent any double voting as the special voting is going to be on the 28th and the public one is for the 31, we have taken several arrangements. The voting results are going to be pending on number of arrangement. The ballots for the special voting are going to be within an envelope and depending on the ration card. Also, we’re going to collect the votes and then what would be submitted to the register committee and they would check it. And also, each and every one of them is going to have to bring his ration card or the number of his ration card so.... And their fingers are going to be marked, also. I would like to let my major general to talk about the security arrangements about the special voting.
MG AIDEN: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: In the name of God, we would like to thank Judge Kassem[ph] for giving us this opportunity to talk about the procedures and arrangement taken by the security committee.
The security committee is working with the IHEC on applying the criteria of the IHEC. The special voting day is a very important day. We’ve noticed that the media are weak on this subject. We need to focus on this topic so that the citizen would be aware about the special voting for the military servicemen and that their votes are important. We are all keen on applying the intensive security measures; also, to prevent the double-voting.
As you see, we have chosen the 28th of January, which is close to the 31st, so that the ink would not be removed from the voter finger. Also, the military individuals who are going to vote or those who are not going to vote are going to be prevented from going to the election centers on the 31st.
The Ministry of Defense, we have put the individuals under C code alarm so that they would not go. They’re not allowed to go to the voting centers as the ink on his finger is going to show. And he’s...the forces are acquainted with him. And their names are not there. And that was not on duty, he should be on the C alarm that they’re protected from going out. The monitors are...should be there and political entities should be present there. This day is important for militaries. The officials and the contractors and the FBS forces are not allowed to vote on that day. They should vote on the 31st.
We don’t have emergency procedures such as a curfew or stopping the movement of vehicles or closing airports or border exits. I’ll talk about the emergency procedures on the 31st election day.
Yes, we would like to take your questions.
REP1: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Daya[ph] Salaam[ph] News Age-...Radio. Mr. Kassem, the Ministry of Defense and Interior, have they submitted the names of their officials so that they would not vote again on the following days?
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Frankly, the numbers for...of the individuals, we have lists with their names...we received their names from the Ministry of Interior...Ministry of Defense and Interior. We have a good database and the details are there about their locations. We have updated the data. We are working with the security commission and we have finishing the procedures.
REP2: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Ayad[ph], EVA News Agency. What are the media...the arrangements for the media figures? Are they going to have vehicle permission?
MG AIDEN: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Yes, well, frankly, as you’re...as we are talking about the emergency order, we need to focus on these orders so the citizen would be acquainted with this. We are going to take copies of these and have it circulated anew. The security council have took some emergency orders the...for the sake of security and to create a certain smoothness in order to have the voters reach the electoral centers.
As from our experience as the previous elections, you would see our arrangements are less. We don’t have a day curfew. The citizens are free to go and move on foot. The forces and the checkpoints cannot hinder any citizen from reaching the centers. There are going to be some security belts around the security center. This is— security...election center.
The citizen, when he would head towards the election center, he would see many checkpoints. Those checkpoints are not responsible to check his identity or to question him where he is heading. Also, the second belt is the Iraqi Army. The citizen would see the second belt, which is Iraqi Army. This belt is not responsible to detect and check the identity of the voter. Only the first belt, which is police; they are concerned with questioning the identity of the citizen. Also, the officials of the electoral centers, they’re going to check the citizen, search him in order for him to reach safely and to cast his vote.
The emergency decision is the night curfew, closing international borders and international air and local airports. Also, the provinces, starting from midnight of the 30th, January, it’s going to be open during day, but at 10:00 A.M at 10:00 P.M., it’s going to be closed...the borders are going to be closed. During the election day, vehicle movement is going to be stopped in the center of the cities. But as for the districts and the villages, the cars are free, the movements is free. The citizens can move within the outskirts of Baghdad from a village to a village, from a village to a district, from the district to the qaddah borders. They can move with their cars in order to reach the election centers. We are not having a restriction over the vehicles’ movement, only inside the cities. When we close the airports—not for security measures, but for the comfort of the citizen. When the citizen would reach...if a citizen headed to the airport, where would he go? If he wanted to go to the border, where would he go? So this is why we decided to close the borders so that we would not confuse the citizen. He would be stuck there only for one day, the 31st...only for the 31st. The 1st of February, those bor-...exits and entrances points are going to be opened at 5:00 A.M. in the morning. The day offs are going to be for...Saturday and Sunday are going to be day off...days off.
Who is allowed to move? There are many cars. They would need badges. We call it movement badge of the ambulances, the police, the Army vehicles, also media and international monitors and local and Arab monitors. They are going to be given badges by IHEC. Mr. Kassem[ph] told us the number of international monitors; we’re going to give them all badges. Also the media figures, also, so they will be free in their movement.
Yes.
REP3: Hi. Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, National Public Radio. I have a few questions. First of all, how long are the results going to...how long will it take to get the results? That’s for you Judge Kassem[ph]. And then for you, how...is the biggest concern right now fraud and not violence? Are you more worried about there being some kind of fraud in the elections than you’re worried about car bombs and shooting? And then, actually, one more thing. People who are displaced, families who have been displaced. Do they have to go and vote in their original location where they were displaced from, or can they vote where they live now? Thank you.
MG AIDEN: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Displaced families. As you’re aware, the law have guaranteed their right to vote. And the IHEC have opened the doors early for them in order to update their information so we have special centers for displaced families to vote. It’s near their current locations.
Yeah.
REP3: [Speaks briefly off microphone.] And how long will it take for [inaudible]?
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: The sum...the results are going to be released as soon as possible. We have three lists for the results. One of them is 141 and the other one is 142. The fir-...the initial results are going to be announced as soon as possible. Also, we have the national office. We have given them all the necessary supplies in order to...all the state resources. Also airplanes to transport the results for the far provinces in order to...for us to release the initial results as soon as possible. Yes.
REP4: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Anadulya[ph] News Agency. For the prisoners, do you have them...have you specified a special day for them? Can the media figure shoo-...photograph the process?
MG AIDEN: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Yes, well, the special voting day, it include the prisoners and the hospital residents and the military servicemen and the Ministry of Defense and Interior. Also, the media have the door open for them. Also, foreign media are going to cover lots of process...voting process on the special election day, the 28th.
REP5: James Seraeus[ph], Global Justice Project. I would like to ask Judge Kassem[ph] if he’s involved in the security of the post-voting balloting boxes and their movement. And if so, how is that going to be secured through the time of counting the votes?
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Yes, of course, we’re concerned with this issue and we have studied this earlier by the commissioner council and the freedom of movement and the ballot boxes. It’s not a security matter, but also it is a sensitive case for political entities. And to assure you and for more secure, we have a plan. We’re not going to announce it now. We have talked about it today and it’s ready. This plan is going to secure the protection. Even those who have special procedures for this plan are going to be surprised.
REP6: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Judge Kassem....
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Why don’t you ask the general?
REP6: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Chief editor for Wufak[ph] Iraqi Newspaper. How come there was no media coverage for...by the IHEC for those...for the blind people and those...and deaf people?
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Well, also, we have this procedure, we call it the support arrangement. Also, to help those people with special obstacles, that this certain class of people, that we can help them. I agree with you that maybe the media, our media staff, did not focus on this topic for those people. Yes, we’re going to focus on them. Thank you for your question.
MG AIDEN: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: If there was no question, I’d like to ask you and that to be assured that the Iraqi forces are well and efficient. And they are capable of protecting all the election centers. We have more than we need of numbers of forces. We also have forces to protect the candidates, the voters, the centers.
And about the voting materials, it is in safe place within the forces. The voting materials do not reach the electoral centers unless there was enough forces. Also, they would not return to the center without being accompanied by enough forces. Also, we’re going to call for support when we need it.
And God’s will, the elections for this time, the forces are more than those were available within the previous elections. And we are asking the citizen not to be hesitant and would go to the voting center. He may vote to whom he ever wishes. We do not care who would won, but we care about how he’s going to win. We are keen about providing the innocent environment.
REP7: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Judge, have you noticed some violations? And what parties have maken[sic] those?
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Yes, we have received a great deal of violations [laughs]. You can imagine with any elections happening in the world, you should expect a number of violations. Yes, there have been for...many violations for many parties. Some of them started before the IHEC order to start their campaign. Some have placed their posters in...not within the right...within the suggested places.
We have registered 180 violation. We have commissions all across the provinces. Also, we have teams to secure the campaigns. And we are sure that we are going to have more penalties within the coming days for those people committing the violations.
I am really thankful for your question. Yes, we hear people blaming us that we do not impose financial penalties. We are following the law. We cannot make such arrangements by ourselves. The law mentions the crimes and the penalties concerning the provincial elections. Some of them are within financial penalties. Some of them about arresting penalties. Also, the part about threatening and intimidation and closing centers or using weapons. Also, we have penalties about detention. It’s all based according to a complaint.
REP8: Jacqueline[ph] Frank from IREX[ph]. General Aidan, could you please tell us when the car vehicles will be given out and where international media and media go to get the car badges? Thank you.
MG AIDEN: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Media figures may go to the security commission. You go...you may go to the IHEC and also to the national operation center, which is close to the IHEC building. And we have an authorization for them in order to go to the IZ and we have a commission there...committee there would distribute the badges.
You need to contact us. We have a media commission also. We are all on duty 24 hours and we have operation rooms. Also, you have our phone numbers, with Mr. Nassir[ph] from the security committee. The numbers and the e-mails are published on the newspapers and TV channels.
REP8: [Asks question off microphone.] What day are they able to start [inaudible]?
MG AIDEN: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: As for Baghdad, we’re going to start distributing the badges on 30 January for the media figures in Baghdad. And those who...media figures in the provinces, they are going to receive their badges from the provinces because we are afraid that if we gave them the badges three days earlier, they might frau-...there might be some frauds and fake badges. That’s...we are keen on distributing the badges on the last hours. Thus, in Baghdad, they may receive it on the 30 of January. And the badges are going to reach the provinces on the 29th to the provinces. We have specialized officials there and they’re going to...you may find their names at...within the police at the provinces.
REP9: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Major General, we would like from your forces to treat us media figures with all interpearanc-...transparency—to be nice to us.
MG AIDEN: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Yes, I’m thankful for you and so that they would take it easy with the media figures. We are afraid of you media figures.
REP10: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Ali, National Radio. As my colleague, [unintelligible], asked, are the...our concerns about fraud. The entities are talking about frauds. How would you assure the citizen that there is no fraud?
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: I’m going to talk about the technical side and then would transfer it to the general so he would talk about security.
The fraud...just before we...our...we plan everything, we were afraid about the fraud. This talk is about...emerged due to competition. We’re going to hear about this more after the results. I don’t think the losers on this elections, they’re going to congratulate their colleagues; but they’re going to impugn and they’re going to talk about the integrity of this election. That’s why we have decided to make arrangements to cull this fraud thing.
We have a committee at the national office. The committee there have made some criteria in order.... I would not make it long, but the arrangements that we have studied and we have find some.... The registry...the voters’ registry, we had a problem with that earlier. It’s used...in the past, the voter name used to be repeated more than once due...in different centers. That’s now, we made sure that the name of the voter would be in only one station. That citizen might face some difficulty because they did not go to the registry center to know about their ballot’s center. We have put in our mind to...for the election to be transparent. Also, to increase the number of monitors, each political entity is going to have one representative in each station, unlike the previous elections when we had only two monitors. Also, we have the separation and detect...and check process on the bags. Also, we have a secret plan. It’s going to stop totally any attempt to...for any fraud with the votes.
If you don’t have any questions...
REP9: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Well, would you...you should give others a chance also.
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Yes, we’re all serving the people—you all and us.
REP10: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: I would like to add to the media...the information sector, we, the Iraqi syndicate, and we are volunteering and serving Iraq and serving the information. We are working in the newspapers and magazines to cover the elections. We are ready for such a day. We are hoping that we are both going to cooperate with you.
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Yes, we had a conference with the journalists’ syndicate. Journalists were invited to a conference and also we agreed upon forming committees to detect media violation and in order...also for the foreign media in order to see...to solve any problems they might face.
REP11: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Kassem[ph] al-Boudi[ph]. I have a question for you, sir. And also a joint question for the Major General Aiden Khaled, the representative of MOI. There are some issues about the tribes of Iraq to prepare their candidates from the tribe. Like this is...it makes some problem not to choose the qualified individual. This is going to affect the success of the provincial council elections. There are some MOI individuals have been nominated by their families for the provincial council elections and they have also some support from the MOI staff. What are the right procedures about this?
MG AIDEN: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: As for us, legally, any individual from us can...would like to run for the election has to quit. We are a security...we are security forces. If a citizen or a police individual cannot talk to his family, to his friends, to force them to go and vote as.... We...it’s prohibited that.... We are forces working merely for protection and security. We are not involved in the electoral process or to influencing the voters. The minister of interior, minister of defense, more than once have given their instructions not to effect or influence the voters or to interfere in the electoral process. If you’ve seen this, it’s individual acts. We are prohibited from directing people for the sake of this party or this entity.
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Last question.
REP12: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: Kassem[ph] al-Boudi[ph], Freedom Radio. The number of displaced family’s voters and the number of centers allocated to them.
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: As for the displaced families, we have special data from the Ministry of Displacement and also the Ministry of Interior in Kurdistan region. And we have a whole register...a whole file for their registry. We have 565 centers for them.
The law have granted the right to vote for the displaced individual after the 9th of April, 2003. He may vote to the province he was previously or also, according to the criterias, he may vote to the province he’s living now. Some of them have appeared...showed up to the electoral centers and showed they’re willing to vote to their original provinces. And we’re going to have centers opened for them in all the provinces where they are.
Another question. The last one this time.
REP13: [Asks question in Arabic.]
INT: About those who do not participate in voting, their card, is it going to be used? The individual who doesn’t vote. Their card, is it going to be used by parties? Like if the individual did not go and vote. His paper, is it going to add it to the account of...?
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: I think you mean that their papers can be...to be forged.
REP13: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Also, I have another question, about the Basra region.
JUDGE KASSEM[PH]: [Speaks in Arabic.]
INT: Okay. Let me answer the first question. As for the cards that are not used, the first process, the officials at the electoral center going to do is to count the used cards...to use the votes...to count the votes or the papers. Then use...then count the voices[sic], then collect them. Then it would have a mark. And then the file is, it looks like a copybook and it’s going to be closed. And the number is going to be...the number for the used papers is going to be registered so that the unused papers are not going to be used.
As for...I’d mentioned that, within this, we have studied the lack of efficiency that happened during the earlier elections. It was about the remaining papers. Thus, we have within our plan, we have this good plan that would stop any fraud.
The region...Basra region, the first step is that 2%...the application should be submitted by 2% of the voters there. Thus, we have opened the centers...election centers to receive the supporters who are asking to form a Basra region. We need 140,000 voters to support this project. We have centers there and we gave them a duration by the law, which is a month. And the IHEC opened for a month and had media coverage for this subject. And the reporters were invited. Then we extended the...for another...additional five days also. And this project was...did not succeed and they did not acquire the quorum that it needed. Only 30,000 showed up and signed to support the project. That’s why we consider this project a failure and the establishment of a Basra region was failed. I wish everybody good luck and they might try again, this is their right. There was no pressure against them and there was no intrusion from any entity or political party.
I thank you very much.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
