Syrian out-of- country voting for the Iraqi National Assembly election
Syria-Iraq, Politics, 1/6/2005

A press conference was held on Wednesday, January 5th, 2005 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for Syrian local and international media to attend the inaugural press conference of the Syrian Out-of-Country-Voting (OCV) program for the Iraq National Assembly Elections.

Talking to journalists, Luis Martinez Betanzos expressed satisfaction over the level of cooperation from the Syrian government who he said were supportive of the election taking place in Syria. He said that this program will be conducted under the supervision of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI),will enable many Iraqis living in Syria to participate in the Iraqi National Assembly Election due to be held on January 30th, 2005.

Betanzos explained that Iraqis living in Syria will be given the opportunity to participate in the Iraqi National Assembly election of January 2005. This is materialized under an agreement between the Government of Syria and the Geneva-based International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The agreement to hold elections for Iraqis in Syria was signed on January 2, between the head of the Iraqi OCV program in Syria, Luis Martinez Betanzos and Faisal al-Hamoui, Director of International Organization from the Syrian ministry of foreign affairs.

Betanzos explained that Iraqis living in Syria will be able to register for the elections and cast their vote in the capital, Damascus. He stressed that to participate in the election, Iraqis must prove their eligibility and register at a center in Damascus from 17 to 23 of January, adding that polling will take place over three days from 28 to 30 January, with the last day of polling coinciding with elections Day in Iraq. Iraqis will have to return to the same center at which they registered in order to cast their vote, he commented.

"The OCV program gives Iraqis living in Syria a unique chance to participate in their homeland's first democratic elections in living memory," said Betanzos, adding that "The Iraq OCV program believes that it is in the interest of all parties that Iraqis currently in Syria and worldwide are able to choose their government and build the country's future." He indicated that Iraqis living in Syria, who want to take part in their country's upcoming National Assembly Election must register to vote in Damascus from 17 to 23 January.

"If the Iraqis do not register they will not be able to vote," said Betanzos. He added "We hope that many Iraqis who are living outside the capital will travel to Damascus between 17 and 23 January to register to vote." He noted that the IOM is conducting the election in Syria, and in 13 countries around the world where there are large Iraqi populations, on behalf of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq. These include Turkey, Iran, USA, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Canada, Germany and Britain.

He continued that the Iraq OCV Syrian team is now training key staff who will go out into the Iraqi communities in Syria and inform them of their right to vote. More than 1000 staff members, the vast majority being Iraqis will be employed to run the registration and polling centers.

He hinted that suitable centers are currently being identified in Damascus where the registration and the polling will take place. To be considered eligible, Iraqis living in Syria must present personal identification documents and have been born on or before 31 December,1986.

He indicated that once a person has registered to vote they must retain their registration receipt to be able to vote, noting that voting will take place over three days from 28 to 30 January.

He said that over the next two weeks a massive public education campaign, which will include advertisements in television, radio and newspapers, billboards and poster, will be launched to inform Iraqis how they can participate.

With less than 30 days to go before Out-Of-Country Voting begins for the Iraq's National Assembly election, the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) has decided that vote counting for the Iraq Out-Of-Country Voting (OCV) program will be carried out at individual country level rather than at a centralized Count Center.

On November 2004, the IEC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the IOM authorizing IOM to conduct an OCV program on behalf, and under the supervision of, the IECI. The program will enable many Iraqis living abroad to participate in the Iraqi national assembly elections scheduled on January 30,2005.

Nevertheless, due to the limited demographic data, and the fact that the absolute number of voters will only be known after registration has taken place, the program has a flexible operational methodology which is capable of handling up to approximately one million actual registrants and voters. This projected maximum voting population, and the fact that the event will entail significant security costs, had led the IECI to set aside $ 92 million as an upper ceiling for the program expenditures.

This election is for the Iraqi National Assembly which will be elected under a system of proportional representation and will choose the President and his deputies and approve the appointment of the Transitional Government. The National Assembly will have the responsibility for drafting the permanent constitution of Iraq. In accordance with the established OCV standards Iraqis abroad will be able to participate in this national-level election, but not in the Governorate and regional elections which are scheduled to take place at the same time.

Replying to questions put by the attending journalists, Betanzos said that the estimated number of Iraqis living in Syria eligible for voting is 200,000 and that the Syrian government agreed that any Iraqi candidate for the elections can come to Damascus to make his own campaign, adding that even Iraqis living in Lebanon and in remote areas in the north east and north west of Syria can come to Damascus to cast their votes duly.

IOM estimates suggest that as many as one million Iraqi expatriates may be eligible to take part in the Out-of-Country voting across the 14 countries where the OCV will be conducted.

Previous Stories:
  Syrian minister of interior holds talks with Iraqi peer in Tunis   (1/4/2005)
  Iraqi minister of the Interior: Accusations against Damascus are irresponsible   (1/3/2005)
  Damascus returns back $ 3.5 million to Iraq   (12/30/2004)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search