The Building of Federal Commission of Integrity
Integrity commission teams monitor election preparations in governorates, warn against ‘misuse’ of state resources
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Federal Commission of Integrity said Wednesday its field teams in several governorates are monitoring election preparations to ensure transparency and prevent the misuse of public funds and state resources ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for Nov. 11.
In a statement, the commission said it is working with the Independent High Electoral Commission to detect violations, adding that a central team it formed held an extensive meeting to discuss the work of provincial teams and measures taken to safeguard the electoral process. The meeting addressed raising awareness on the prohibition of using state resources and public funds in campaigns.
The statement said commission teams in Diwaniyah, Wasit, Diyala, Kirkuk, Muthanna, and Karbala visited local offices of the electoral commission and met with their directors. “During the visits, the importance of cooperation in monitoring the misuse of public funds in campaigns by candidates and political entities was emphasized,” the commission said.
It added that joint efforts will focus on limiting campaign violations, including the use of state resources in all media and social media platforms, and monitoring cases of vote and card buying.
Earlier this year, a leading election expert warned that vote buying in Iraq has become more public, coercive, and widespread with some regions seeing what he described as the “purchase of entire candidates.” “There is no buying of election cards; rather, it is vote buying,” he said. “A card is useless without its holder and cannot be used for voting on its own.”
In response to growing concerns, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission announced the formation of monitoring committees to document electoral violations.
The electoral commission has disqualified 187 candidates from the November elections over legal and eligibility concerns, the head of its media team said in an interview with Al-Rabiaa TV.