The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission’s decision to bar expatriate voting in the upcoming elections has stirred debate in the country.
The commission announced on Tuesday that it would be unable to secure the vote of Iraqis residing abroad due to time, legal, health and financial constraints.
It explained that it needed 160 days to update data and issue biometric cards for voters abroad, while it still only has 40 days left to complete the entire process.
The elections are set for October.
The commission’s decision sparked fierce debate. Opponents said it violates the constitution that stipulates that every Iraqi has the right to take part in elections.
Leading member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Ribin Salam dismissed the commission’s decision as “illogical and unacceptable”, urging the need to review it.
“It is as if the commission is saying that expatriates are not people of this country and they are not entitled to determine their own fate,” he added. “The Kurds, as well as other minorities, such as Christians and Yazidis, will be harmed by this move.”
MP Dhafer al-Ani said the commission’s decision is not legally sound, adding that barring Iraqis, who grudgingly left their own country, from the vote harms the political process.
Member of the parliamentary legal committee Yahya al-Mohammadi said the constitution stipulates that every Iraqi has the right to vote. “This is not up for debate.”
He added, however, that after meeting with the commission, it explained that the conditions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic prevented it from issuing biometric cards within the set deadline.
“We were therefore, confronted with constraining circumstances that bar expatriates from taking part in the vote,” he added.
Former MP Rahim al-Daraji said that even though the commission’s move is unconstitutional, “the voice of expatriates does not reflect the real tragedy endured by the people inside Iraq.”
He added that voting abroad is a costly process and a “waste of public funds.” Moreover, he remarked that such votes are easily forged and, therefore, ensuring the integrity of the process is difficult.
Elections expert Adel Al-Lami told Asharq Al-Awsat that holding a vote for expatriates is not always necessary. He noted that past experiences have shown that turnout was usually less than 10 percent.
He acknowledged however, that the commission’s decision is illegal, saying that it used time constraints as an excuse to back down from organizing the elections abroad.
