Parliament Presidency concerned over malfunction of devices

BAGHDAD, December 17 — The Presidency of the Parliament expressed “deep concern” on Sunday following the malfunction of election devices during the special voting. The statement urged the electoral commission to provide full assurances against the recurrence of technical errors.

Statement from the Presidency of the Parliament, read:

“The Presidency of the Parliament closely monitored the technical issues that occurred during the special voting process in the elections for the provincial councils. Specifically, the failure to transmit results through the communication channels for a significant number of ballot boxes, transporting them to counting and sorting centers without conducting manual counting. Our concern lies in ensuring that the Independent High Electoral Commission fulfils its constitutional duties in safeguarding the voters’ voices, candidates’ rights, ensuring accuracy, and preventing the repetition of errors in the general voting, especially considering that the number of polling centers and stations is multiple times that of the special voting.

The Commission must provide full assurances against the recurrence of technical errors and declare the integrity of the devices used. The election law stipulates that the commission should contract with independent auditing companies, conduct simulations to verify all procedures, and provide all necessary guarantees to preserve the integrity of the sent ballot boxes and prevent manipulation of results.

The Parliament’s Presidency expresses deep concern and urges IHEC to avoid errors, ensuring the verification of devices used at stations before conducting the general voting process for the elections.”