Newspaper talks about astronomical amounts of electoral spending in Baghdad

Newspaper talks about astronomical amounts of electoral spending in Baghdad

Million for each candidate and 144 million for big blocks! ...

15/04/2018 - 23:07



BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi newspaper in a report released on Sunday highlighted fewer amounts that could be said to be "astronomical" for electoral spending and publicity for candidates and blocs in Baghdad.

According to the newspaper, the large lists and entities have gained full control over the electoral arena, taking advantage of their influence in the acquisition of cities strategic places in the publication of their posters and slogans at the expense of other lists after securing the reservation of these sites before the launch of the campaign.

The advantage of these lists and entities in the upcoming elections is the exploitation of the system of electoral spending approved by the Electoral Commission, which set the ceiling of the highest candidate in Baghdad one million dollars and the entity or the list of 144 million dollars.

According to the newspaper, these systems, which can be circumvented and manipulated by lists and large entities have determined the spending ratios for the candidate in the province of Basra $ 350 thousand dollars and the electoral list $ 16 million.

The aim of these systems is to create equal opportunities for all candidates by controlling campaign funding.

In the meantime, the Secretariat of the capital recognizes the existence of a lot of violations and electoral irregularities committed by many entities and candidates caused damage to buildings and the regulation of spraying in the central islands, the Secretariat threatened to resort to justice unless they lift these abuses.
Adel Al-Lami, the expert on electoral affairs, describes the size of the electoral spending ceilings for election campaigns for lists, entities and candidates with "very high". He stressed that "the large blocs that control and control the executive and legislative branches hold their grip on the electoral arena."

The Electoral Commission announced on Saturday the launching of information campaigns for coalitions and political parties participating in the electoral process.

Lami pointed out that «the regulations issued by the Electoral Commission recently set the maximum ceiling of spending at a maximum of (250) dinars multiplied by the number of voters registered for the electoral district one», explaining that «the ceiling of the electoral expenditure of the entity consists of the same amount allocated to the candidate multiplied by the number of candidates for the list of political entity In one constituency. "

And the expert on the electoral issue, that «the ceiling of spending the highest candidate in the province of Baghdad will be million dollars per candidate as the number of voters of the capital (5) million voters multiplied by (250) dinars», "considering that« the amount of $ 1 million ceiling for spending each Candidate in the capital Baghdad is very large ».

Al-Lami continued, "This mathematical equation determined the highest expenditure ratios for each list of the capital Baghdad with 144 million dollars." He explained that "the spending ratio for each candidate is one million dollars multiplied by the number of candidates for each list of Baghdad governorate lists (138) .

The Electoral Commission, by issuing these regulations and regulations, seeks to create equal opportunities among candidates of entities by ensuring the sources of electoral campaign funds, achieving transparency and eliminating the phenomenon of buying votes and corruption in the electoral process.

Lami, who in 2006 was the site of the President of the Electoral Commission amounts set by the Electoral Commission for the campaigns and lists of candidates for parliamentary elections exaggerated.

Al-Lami said that the spending system approved by the Commission set the highest expenditure rates for the candidate in the province of Basra $ 350 thousand, and the list or the electoral entity one $ 16 million, while in Nineveh province to $ 22 million per entity.

He explained that «the process of spending in the previous electoral processes did not exceed more than 90 million dollars for large entities», noting that «the expenditure systems that require entities to provide access to their expenses for the Electoral Commission can be circumvented by the lists».

The electoral campaign system No. (11) of 2018, which was ratified by the Commission in Article (4), obliged all electoral entities and lists to adhere to the expenditure controls in their campaigns in the expenditure system No. (1) for the year 2013.

Al-Lami warned that he saw "a lot of violations and irregularities on some entities and electoral lists in their advertising campaigns." He added that "there is random distribution of posters in the streets and traffic intersections.

And confirms that «there are tearing of images and advertising propaganda by an effective violation of the regulations and regulations issued by the Electoral Commission», believing «the absence of significant differences between the irregularities in the current election campaigns and the precedents».

Al-Lami said that «there is great competition between the forces and entities and large lists to publish their posters and propaganda in the strategic places by pre-booking by the head of the list or party when it printed and processed earlier by resolving the sequence of the number one before the dates of ratification of the elections».

The Electoral Commission recently issued its instructions for the organization of electoral campaigns based on Article 4 of the Electoral Commission Law No. 11 of 2007 and the Law of Elections of the Council of Representatives No. 45 of 2018 amended.

In contrast, the Municipality of Baghdad spotted a lot of violations and electoral irregularities committed by the entities and candidates for the parliamentary elections, in the presence of posters that caused damage in the central islands and distorted the walls of the buildings.

"The electoral campaign was organized by the Election Commission and the Baghdad secretariat, which allows the publication of posters and posters in public places and defines the materials used for these advertisements," said Hakim Abdul-Zahra, spokesman for the Baghdad secretariat.

The Secretariat of Baghdad and the Electoral Commission have identified the places that allow the publication of posters and posters of electoral entities and lists in all public places except for the buildings of institutions and government departments, places of worship, monuments and statues.

Abdel-Zahra stresses that the posters are not used on all buildings because they cause great damage and can not be removed after the completion of the propaganda process, stressing that «there are many violations that have been proven by the sub-committees and will be submitted to the Electoral Commission».

Civil activists on social networking sites have dealt a lot of violations and violations to many entities, parties and electoral lists that have put their posters and announcements on the institutions and departments of the state.

"The Municipality of Baghdad will raise some abuses in the event that it has not been lifted by the entities and lists that have caused electoral campaigns to damage some public property," he said, threatening to "resort to the judiciary against some candidates and lists causing major irregularities."
He explains that "some of the banners have disabled many of the spray systems installed by the Secretariat in many of the islands of the middle."

http://www.basnews.com/index.php/ar/reports/429909