UN envoy warns against voter suppression in Iraq

With help of United Nations, authorities in Iraq are taking measures to prevent voter fraud in national elections next month, UN envoy to Iraq said Tuesday.

However, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert stressed that Iraqi political parties and candidates must abstain from intimidation, voter suppression and bribes to ensure October federal elections are free and fair.

Speaking to reporters in Baghd, Hennis-Plasschaert outlined efforts by Iraqi electoral authorities, with technical assistance from UN, to close loopholes from past that have undermined public trust in Iraq’s electoral process.

2018 federal election saw record low turut with just 44% of eligible voters casting ballots, and results were widely contested.

To boost numbers Iraq requested UN monitoring during election day on October 10.

UN has also been providing technical assistance to Iraq's High Electoral Commission, official body that oversees polls.

UN electoral assistance mission in Iraq is one of largest worldwide, with five times as many UN personnel as compared to 2018, Hennis Plasschaert said.

She stressed running of next month's polls will be very different from 2018 due to new strict measures.

An independent audit firm will keep tabs on how votes are counted and what happens with results, she said.

To prevent fraud, provisional results will be shown at polls throughout country.

In past se were anunced once ballots h been transported and counted at IHEC hequarters.

130 international experts will also be deployed to monitor polls ahe of and during election day.

y will be accompanied by 600 support staff.

New measures are also in place to avoid misuse of electronic voter cards which will be confiscated and disabled for 72 hours to avoid double voting, she said.

Next month's federal elections are being held a year in vance, in line with a promise me by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Khimi when he assumed office in 2020 to appease anti-government protesters.

Uncertainty emerged wher polls would be held on time after influential Shiite cleric Moqta al-Sr said he would contest m. But he has since reversed this decision.

elections are also being held under a reformed electoral law that crucially divides Iraq into 83 constituencies from just 18.

"Voters will vote for individuals, t just parties," Hennis-Plasschaert said. "Experience elsewhere in world shows us that voting for individuals in smaller constituencies can create a stronger bond between voters and ir representatives."

But she warned political parties would have to abstain from voter suppression and or illicit activities ahe of polls to ensure integrity of polls.

She also urged Iraqis, especially disillusioned youth who make up 60% of population, to vote and warned against boycotting election.