Babil political factions concerned over ballot security amid device failures

BABIL, December 17 — Following widespread failures in electronic counting devices during the special vote, political groups in Babil on Sunday voiced apprehension about the safeguarding of ballot boxes. Despite reassurances from the Electoral Commission on stringent security protocols, fears of a repeat of the 2018 incident where ballot boxes were burnt linger among candidates.

Aqeel Al-Rubaie from the Iraqi Communist Party shared with 964media, “The widespread malfunction of counting devices casts a shadow of suspicion, fueling our fears of vote tampering. The Commission’s earlier assurances now fall flat, and this could spell a repeat on the general voting day.”

Amir Al-Maamouri, leader of the People’s Parliament List, echoed the sentiment, stating, “Device failures across all provinces have set alarm bells ringing about the possibility of ballot manipulation.”

In contrast, Amir Hussein, Babil’s Commission Media Director, assured, “Concerns are unwarranted. With a shift to manual auditing and tight security, all transferred ballot boxes will undergo meticulous validation of numbers and seals in the presence of political observers, civil society, and media, ensuring transparency as per the electoral legislation.”