Iraq elections: talk about corrupt money and buy votes and receivables

Iraq elections: talk about corrupt money and buy votes and receivables

Service bribes and accusations of Saudi Arabia support Sunni opposition figures ...

02/04/2018 - 23:14



Some of the candidates for the May 12 Iraqi parliamentary elections are exploiting the lack of services in poor areas, such as election propaganda, not to mention other temptations, which may reach votes.

MP for the province of Basra, Mohamed al-Tai, said that «some candidates are trying to win the voter in the poor areas through the asphalt street, and the distribution of baskets of food.

"In the province of Basra, which exports three and a half million barrels of oil a day, 30 percent of its population lives below the poverty line, that is, one dollar a day ... These can be exploited by some candidates," he said.

He called on citizens to "not sell their votes to anyone, because they will participate with him in corruption, in this case can not be a citizen to demand services in the future, and criticizes the government performance, he sold his voice for 50 - 100 dollars."

Independent MP Kazem al-Sayadi described these candidates, deputies and politicians as "in a state of dormancy and went out to the citizens at this time."

He told the newspaper that «the political blocs stole the homeland and the citizen for three years and ten months ago, and in the past two months, these blocks began to trick the citizens for the purpose of buying votes and receivables.

The MP for the Union of Forces, Fares al-Faris, also said that "many of those who communicate with the poor today have robbed citizens of their rights and worked with corrupt money over the past period." They stole citizens from the provision of services, Submitted over the past period ".

According to the knight «if these services were provided in that period, I do not need the citizen responsible in this circumstance to provide him with confidence».

Sectarian alignment

In parallel, speaking in a coalition of state law, led by Vice President Nuri al-Maliki, what he called a plan «Saudi American» to create a lineup «sectarian» in the next phase, and support Sunni political figures long known for their positions hostile to the political process in the past period.

Zaid al-Asadi told al-Quds al-Arabi that "the plan to create a sectarian alignment in Iraq comes under American guidance and with Saudi financial support."

According to the source, the Sunni population in these areas is divided into two parts, the first displaced and displaced, and the other remained in its areas and fought the organization - as in Baghdad and modern Anbar.

He continued: "Both sections do not believe in the Sunni forces that are leading the current political scene, because they did not stand with them in the displacement crisis, nor did they support the tribes opposed to terrorism, unlike the government and the Shiite political forces that provided them with arms. They know of tribal mobilization. "

He admitted that Saudi Arabia did not allow the "tribal crowd" - through Sunni political leaders - to fight the organization, citing "Saudi involvement in financial, intellectual and logistical support" at the time (2014-2017).

"The Sunni public has become closer to the government and the Shiite political forces that supported it to liberate its land, and participated in fighting the organization, and provided a large number of martyrs and wounded in order to achieve this goal."

After the completion of the military operations, and the declaration of Abadi liberation of all Iraqi territory from the control of the organization, new Sunni political figures appeared, who had a role in the fight against terrorism, especially in the western regions, according to Asadi, who confirmed that these figures «closer to the alliance with political forces Influential Shiite, not Sunni. "

Apparently, Saudi Arabia realized the danger of this, and began to move towards supporting political figures, as long as known for their positions against the political process in Iraq, over the last period, the source said, adding: "About six months ago, we got leaks stating that these political figures (Not called) meetings in Turkey, under the direction of the US and Saudi financial support, in order to find a sectarian alignment, and assigning specific Sunni political leaders, but no other, to be a political force allied and equal to the Shiite forces.

Forging and soliciting voters

According to al-Asadi, there are outside parties seeking to intervene in the Iraqi file, indicating that this intervention "is increasing as we get closer to the elections."

He added: «The political parties that seek to rig elections, are the same that are linked to external agendas have an interest in it», and praised the procedures of the Electoral Commission for the election in reducing the fraud, he stressed the importance of «UNHCR's follow-up to this file intensively».

He added: "The precise detection of fraud cases comes on election day, but there are signs of this, as well as political money and external links." He explained that the fraud is through two routes, the first, buying votes, while the second way by circumventing the people.

He considered that the most important measures that limit the potential fraud, «is the activation of international observers, and observers of political entities at the polling stations, as well as the presence of media and civil society organizations».

Punitive measures

Talk about potential frauds, prompted the Independent Electoral Commission to issue a statement clarifying the actions taken against those found to be involved in fraud.

And said that it issued several resolutions come «in order to maintain the integrity and integrity of the elections, and because the voter card is a cornerstone and an important element in the voting process for electoral benefits, and to ensure that the card to the real voter and maintain and use them optimally by the owner». Among the decisions of the Commission, according to the statement, «the withdrawal of the ratification of any candidate or party or political alliance proves officially and irrefutable evidence that he received the cards of voters in an illegal and twisted, and will be referred to the judiciary to take legal action against him». It also included "punishing any employee of the Commission, including the staff of the registration centers, polling stations and stations, to resign from his post, in the event that he officially proves his cooperation with any party in obtaining the voter's cards illegally and legally and to refer him to the judiciary to take legal action against him."

The Commission decided "to refer voters who prove their involvement in the sale of electronic electoral cards of their own to the Iraqi judiciary, for the purpose of taking the measures to ensure the punishment of the judicial," mending the «hand over the delivery of any person who holds an electronic card not his own electoral card on the day of the ballot to the security authorities, The judiciary for the purpose of taking legal action against him ».

The statement pointed out that «the Commission will work strongly and in accordance with the regulations and procedures taken by the province, on the conduct of the electoral process, and punish the manipulators who try to interfere with the will of the voter is fair and the will of the people to choose his representatives». The Commission stressed, "work with neutrality and professionalism and hopes all its partners stand with it and contribute to the success of the upcoming parliamentary elections."

Regulations

As for the secretariat of the capital Baghdad, has published the electoral campaign controls prepared in coordination with the Electoral Commission, and warned the political entities of the violation.

"The regulations governing the advertising campaigns for the elections scheduled for next May are stricter; to prevent distortion of the aesthetics of the city, especially historical, heritage and religious sites," it said in a statement. According to the statement, the Secretariat banned the paste of propaganda and photographs of candidates on historic and religious buildings, bridges, bridges, facades of government buildings, schools, in addition to hospitals. And warned political parties and entities of the violation of controls - prepared in cooperation with the Electoral Commission - during the propaganda campaigns for candidates of the elections of the House of Representatives.

She noted that she would issue weekly statements through which the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) would report to persons, entities and political entities that violated the controls by using posters at random and unorganized to charge them for removal. The candidates could use alternative means of advertising, cloth labels and flex panels, which could be easily removed and advertised in the visual, audio and print media.

She hoped that the parties and political entities participating in the elections will be aware of the high responsibility and keenness to preserve the beauty of the city of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) decided to postpone the scheduled date for launching the election campaign for another four days.

The campaign is due to be launched on April 10, before UNHCR decides to postpone it to the 14th of the same month, to coincide with the previous date with a religious event.

http://www.basnews.com/index.php/ar/reports/426714