- Iraqi governorate elections, 2008
Governorate or provincial elections are scheduled to be held in
Iraq sometime prior to the end of January 2009, to replace the local councils in fourteen of the eighteengovernorates of Iraq that were elected in theIraqi governorate elections of 2005 . [http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/09/24/Iraq.main/]Passage of a Provincial Election Law
In February 2008, the Iraqi Parliament passed a Provincial Powers Act by a majority of one, with many members of parliament not present at the proceedings. It included giving the Prime Minister the power to dismiss a governor of a province, a measure that would have left considerable power in the hands of the
Shi'a dominated central government inBaghdad . The Act required a Provincial Elections Law to be passed within the next 90 days and for elections to be held no later than the beginning of October 2008.The Presidency Council initially referred the law back, saying it did not comply with the constitutional rights of governorates. It was reported that vice President
Adil Abdul-Mahdi , whoseSupreme Islamic Iraqi Council party is strong in many southern Iraqi governorate councils, particularly objected. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7267316.stm Iraqi local election law rejected] , "BBC ",2008-02-27 , accessed on2008-07-27 ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7269241.stm Sadr anger over Iraq law setback] , "BBC ",2008-02-28 , accessed on2008-07-27 ] However, the Council reversed its position following protests from theSadrist Movement , saying they would instead seek changes to the law before it came into force. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/world/middleeast/20iraq.html?hp Iraqi Council Ends Objection to Election Law] , "New York Times ",2008-03-20 , accessed on2008-03-23 ]The Provincial Elections bill was approved by the Council of Representatives on
22 July 2008 despite a walkout by members of theKurdistani Alliance over a clause makingKirkuk Governorate council a power-sharing arrangement. [http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/07/22/iraq.main/ Iraq elections law passes, but vote date in doubt] , "CNN ",2008-07-22 , accessed on2008-07-22 ] The next day thePresidency Council of Iraq , consisting of PresidentJalal Talabani , who is Kurdish, Vice-PresidentAdel Abdul Mahdi , aShi'ite Arab , and Vice-PresidentTariq al-Hashimi , aSunni Arab , unanimously agreed to reject the bill because of the Kirkuk clause, and send it back to the Council of Representatives to reconsider. [http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/6458604.html Iraq's presidency council vetoes provincial election bill] , "People's Daily ",2008-07-24 , accessed on2008-07-27 ] [http://www.aswataliraq.info/look/english/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrArticle=87203&NrIssue=2&NrSection=1 SIIC head, Badr Organization discuss elections law] , "Aswat al-iraq",2008-07-28 , accessed on2007-07-28 ]The second draft was ratified by the Presidency Council on
7 October 2008 , although it stated that a minority clause might yet be added. [http://www.rferl.org/content/Iraqs_Presidency_Approves_Provincial_Elections_Law/1293754.html] [http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/6511083.html]Militias
In March, the government of
Nouri al-Maliki moved against militias allied to theSadrist Movement inBasrah Governorate . Sadrists accused Maliki of trying to weaken them ahead of the polls, but Maliki claimed he was just targeting "criminal gangs".Following this, Maliki said he would disqualify any parties from the election who refused to disband their militia. In April the cabinet agreed on a draft elections law, which included a clause banning parties with militias. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/middleeastCrisis/idUSL13175660 Iraqi cabinet seeks to ban militias from elections] , "
Reuters ",2008-04-13 , accessed on2008-04-14 ]Minorities
Under Article 50 of the draft Elections law, religious minorities such as Christians and
Yazidis would be reserved a number of seats in the provincial assemblies. This clause was removed in the final draft, with legislators citing a lack of census data for determining the appropriate number of seats. Five thousand Christians demonstrated in Mosul against this change, saying it was a "marginalisation of their rights" and the head of theAssyrian Church of the East wrote to the Presidency Council asking them to veto the law. [ [http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1433561.php Thousands of Iraqi Christians protest country's new provincial law] , "Monsters and critics",2008-09-28 ] [ [http://www.metimes.com/Security/2008/09/29/christians_call_for_representation_in_iraq/4ef0/ Christians call for representation in Iraq] , "Middle East Times",2008-09-30 ]Prime Minister al-Maliki said he was concerned and called on parliament and the Iraqi High Electoral Commission to "remove all the concerns, injustice and the sense of exclusion felt by some segments of Iraqi society" [ [http://www.kansascity.com/news/world/story/818110.html Al-Maliki backs legislative seats for religious minorities in Iraq] , "
Associated Press ",2008-09-29 ] . Kurdish MPMahmoud Othman called on thePresidency Council of Iraq to use its review process to force an amendment to include a minority quota, saying "The rule of the majority means there should be protection of the minorities" [http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0926/p04s01-wome.html Iraq election law marks progress, opens political season] , "Christian Science Monitor ",2008-09-26 ] A Sadrist leader also said Christians should be allowed to "contribute to the building of the Iraqi state" and the removal of this clause "threatened the unity of Iraq" [ [http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1433945.php/Sadrist_leader_Iraqs_unity_threatened_by_lack_of_minority_quota_ Sadrist leader: Iraq's unity threatened by lack of minority quota] , "Monsters and Critics",2008-09-30 ]The UN Special Envoy also criticised the removal of the minorities clause. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7649196.stm]
Kirkuk Governorate
The original draft proposed delaying the election in Kirkuk Governorate until after the referendum to decide its precise status has been held. However, a group of Turkmen and Arab MPs proposed a power-sharing clause, establishing a provincial council consisting of ten
Kurd s, tenArab s, tenTurkmen s and twoAssyrian s. This clause was included in the draft election bill put to theIraqi Council of Representatives in July 2008, and led to the Kurdish parties walking out in protest, complaining "If you already pick the seats before the election, why vote?" [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/world/middleeast/16baghdad.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin Kurds Protest Iraqi Election Law] , "New York Times ",2008-07-16 , accessed on2008-07-20 ] The law was nonetheless approved on22 July 2008 . However, PresidentJalal Talabani , who is Kurdish, and Vice-PresidentAdel Abdul Mahdi , aShi'ite Arab , have agreed they would reject the bill, and hence it would be sent back to the Council of Representatives to reconsider.Parliamentary summer recess started on
30 July 2008 , but a special session was called for3 August 2008 to find a solution to the Kirkuk issue. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/30/africa/ME-Iraq-Parliament.php Iraqi Parliament calls session on Kirkuk - International Herald Tribune ] ] At that meeting, no solution was reached; at another meeting on4 August 2008 , lawmakers postponed the session to5 August 2008 , [ [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i78a8WhNf9-f4mUhHfd2p1Ker-PQ AFP: Iraqi parliament delays meeting on key voting law ] ] [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/08/04/europe/OUKWD-UK-IRAQ.php Iraqis see compromise on Kirkuk standoff - International Herald Tribune ] ] and on that date to6 August 2008 . [ [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/05/content_8983597.htm Parliament session on election law adjourned as dispute continues over Kirkuk_English_Xinhua ] ] It was then postponed to9 September 2008 , with a committee working on a compromise solution until then. [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/06/africa/ME-Iraq.php Iraqi Parliament fails to agree on elections law] , "International herald Tribune ",2008-08-06 , accessed on2008-08-06 ] At that session, no resolution was reached, and negotiations continued on10 September 2008 in the form of a special six-member panel formed for this occasion. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/world/middleeast/10iraq.html?ref=middleeast] [http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/6497236.html] The law was finally passed on24 September 2008 and the election is expected to be held by31 January 2009 ; [http://www.rferl.org/content/Iraq_Passes_Poll_Law_Vote_Urged_Before_Jan_31/1291232.html] the compromise was that Kirkuk would be dealt with separately, and elections in Kirkuk and the three Kurdish autonomous provinces will be held at a later time. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7633557.stm] A special panel was to work on a solution on Kirkuk and report back by31 March 2009 . [http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/25/africa/25iraq.php]The
United Nations Special Representative for Iraq,Staffan de Mistura proposed holding elections in all governorates except Kirkuk, and deferring the Kirkuk elections for six months in order to find an acceptable compromise. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSRYA548090 Iraqi parliament again puts off election vote] , "Reuters ",2008-08-05 , accessed on2008-08-05 ] A draft bill based on this proposal was debated on 6 August and accepted by theKurdistani Alliance but opposed by theIraqi Turkmen Front ,Iraqi Accord Front andSadrist Movement who objected to the draft law's reference to theKirkuk status referendum and insisted on delaying the entire elections until a solution was found. [ [http://www.metimes.com/Politics/2008/08/05/iraq_mps_still_at_odds_over_provincial_elections_law/afp/ Iraq MPs still at odds over provincial elections law] , "Middle East Times",2008-08-06 , accessed on2008-08-06 ]Electoral system
The previous Governorate and national elections in Iraq have been held under a "
Closed list " electoral system, whereby voters select a party or coalition and the party or coalition selects the individual parliamentarian.The new election will be held under an "
Open list " system, whereby voters may select either a party or an individual candidate; the candidates elected from a list will be those that get the most individual votes from among that list.The system also promotes the representation of women as if the top two people elected from a list are men the subsequent person elected will be the woman with the most votes. [ [http://abumuqawama.blogspot.com/2008/09/not-so-open.html not so open] , "abu muqawama",
2008-09-25 ]Postponement
In July 2008 the Iraqi Election Commission proposed postponing the elections until December because delays in passing the election law has left too little time to prepare. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/20/africa/ME-Iraq-Elections.php Iraq election panel proposes delay in holding provincial voting] , "
International Herald Tribune ",2008-07-20 , accessed on2008-07-20 ]Opinion polls
The current Governorate councils were elected in the
Iraqi Governorate elections of 2005 , which were boycotted bySunni Arab s, resulting in several Sunni Arab-majority provinces such asNinawa Governorate andSalahudin being run by Kurdish and Shi'ite parties. As Sunni Arab parties have since decided to participate in elections, these elections are expected to give them more representation.The elections are also expected to develop electoral competition within the Sunni Arab population between the
Iraqi Accord Front and the Awakening movements, and within the Shiite population between theSupreme Islamic Iraqi Council and theSadrist Movement . [ [http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/02/inside_iraqi_politic_4.php Inside Iraqi politics – Part 5. A look at legislative progress: Sunnis’ and states’ rights] , "Long War Journal",2008-02-28 ] One senior government official said the elections would "redraw the political map of Iraq", Vice PresidentAdel Abdul Mahdi described them as a "major rehearsal for the parliamentary elections" due in 2009-10, and an expert from theInternational Crisis Group predicted a "big shift", with the existing parties established by exiles losing ground to more recently formed parties of people who stayed in Iraq during the rule ofSaddam Hussein . [http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSKAR97823220080410 Iraq's local elections could reshape power structure] , "Reuters ",2008-04-10 , accessed on2008-04-14 ]A leading member of the Awakening movement in
Baghdad ,Abu Azzam al-Tamimi, formed theIraqi Dignity Front to contest the elections. The Awakening movement in Anbar has formed theNational Front for the Salvation of Iraq . These parties are expected to sweep the Sunni Arab vote inAnbar ,Salahuddin ,Diyala andBaghdad . [ [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/01/opinion/main4491521.shtml Renewed Civil War In Iraq?] , "CBS ",2008-10-01 ]References
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