Jordan Times
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Iraqi expatriates in Jordan can vote at 12 polling stations
AMMAN — Around 200,000 Iraqi expatriates in Jordan can vote in their country's landmark elections at 12 polling stations, to be set up by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) around the Kingdom, an official said on Wednesday.
Lazhar Aloui, head of IOM's office in Jordan, said eligible voters can register at any of the 12 stations between 17-23 of this month to be able to take part in Iraq's transitional national assembly elections over a three-day period starting January 28 from 7:00am to 5:00pm.
Aloui added that under the IOM's Out of Country Voting (OCV) programme, eight polling stations will be open in Amman, two in Zarqa and another two in Irbid.
"Our staff managed to cover most areas of Jordan and get in touch with Iraqis living in remote locations to encourage them to vote," he told a press conference yesterday.
Aloui said the IOM recruited around 1,000 Iraqis in Jordan and trained them to man registration and polling stations as well as handle counting procedures.
The IOM is conducting the OCV on behalf of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI), a non-partisan body, which has the authority to legally enforce rules and procedures relating to elections held throughout the transitional period.
The IECI selected 14 countries with large Iraqi communities to carry out OCV: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Jordan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, UAE, Britain and the US. Around 900 registration and polling stations are currently being established in approximately 150 locations in these countries. According to IOM, around 50-60 per cent of the Iraqis living in Jordan are eligible voters. Jordan is considered to be the second largest host for Iraqi refugees after Syria, which currently accommodates around 500,000 Iraqis. "We encourage all Iraqi expatriates, regardless of their affiliation, political background or inclinations to vote," said Riyad Ali, an IOM adviser on Iraqi affairs Ali told reporters that IOM is an independent and neutral body, which seeks to ensure that the voting process goes "smoothly and in a transparent and fair manner." "We guarantee the voters that there will be no legal repercussions from the Jordanian authorities if they show up with expired residency permits," he said. Aloui, meanwhile, said Iraqi soldiers and police officers being trained in Jordan by local and international experts will also have the chance to cast their votes.
Eligible voters have to prove their identity and their Iraqi nationality, and must have been born on or before December 31, 1986. They are requested to present to registration officials at least two acceptable forms of documentation issued by the government, state agency or international institution. Unavailable information However some observers and Iraqi refugees said details on the 7,248 candidates running for the assembly were still unavailable, saying that they do not know anything about them. "This is nonsense... Of course I wouldn't be able to vote because I don't know who to vote for. I have heard of hundreds of candidates I know nothing about," said a refugee who preferred not to be named. "I would have preferred that the elections be postponed until all factions, including Sunnis, agree to take part and until after the security situation has calmed," the refugee added. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari on Wednesday said the elections would go ahead as planned on January 30, but conceded there would be problems in ensuring a nationwide vote. Many Iraqi groups have threatened to boycott the elections and to use force to keep voters away from polling stations. "Those who boycott the polls will lose their voice," Zebari was quoted by Egypt's Al Ahram daily as saying. Aloui agreed that voters should be aware of the list of candidates and their programmes. "Information on the candidates will be made available to voters as soon as we have them," he said. But he and other IOM officials insisted that the organisation would not be part of the campaigning process, saying any details on the list of candidates and their programmes would be provided by the IECI. IOM had considerable experience in organising external voting programmes. It carried out OCV activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and most recently helped Afghans residing in Pakistan and Iran to take part in Afghanistan's first democratic election.