Support Committee for Free Elections in Kurdistan
- KurdishMedia.com
- 17/05/2009 00:00:00
Support Committee for Free Elections in Kurdistan
16 May 2009, London
On 5th May 2009, Mr. Masaud Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Region, announced that elections for Kurdistan Parliament and for the Presidency of Kurdistan Region would be held on 25 July 2009.
It is one of the fundamental rights of the Kurdistan people to elect their representatives for parliament in free and fair election which leads to the formation of a legitimate and accountable government. Experiences in emerging democracies around the world have shown that election observers are important and essential elements of a fair and free electoral process. International election observation is now common around the world and is accepted as an international norm.
Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), which will organise and supervise the elections, recognizes the role of election observers and describe it as “one of the most important jobs in the election process. Election observers ensure that the transparency and integrity of the electoral process is maintained so that people can be assured that the final result really does represent the will of the majority” . Election observers promote democracy and human rights.
To be effective, the election observers require access to all stages of the election process and all persons involved in the process. They have to be free to move and express their opinions and observe all stages of the election and coordinate with other observer groups. Election observers also monitor voter registration, election campaign, voting and counting process. Their presence reassures voters and deters acts of fraud, election irregularities and vote rigging, thus increases public confidence in the election process.
Having the above points in mind and believing in a transparent, integral, fair and free elections, a group of Kurdish individuals in the United Kingdom have formed a “Support Committee for Free Elections in Kurdistan”(SCFEK) to participate in the forthcoming elections as International Observers. Our aim is to monitor all aspects of the elections process before, during and after elections. We will apply to Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) for Accreditation to become International Observers.
SCFEK is a non-profit making, independent, nongovernmental organization, which does not support, favour or fund any candidates or parties. It expresses the interest of the Kurdistan people in the achievement of democratic elections in Kurdistan. We will use suitable international standards in our assessments and evaluations.
Code of Conduct for SCFEK Observers:
All observers are expected to abide by the recognized International Codes of Conduct for election observers and the IHEC’s Code of Conduct for Observers in order to ensure impartiality and professionalism.
Support Committee for Free Elections in Kurdistan Observers will:
· Maintain strict impartiality in the conduct of their duties and will not express preference in relation to any candidate or party.
· Undertake their duties in a professional manner and will not interfere in the electoral process. They will base all conclusions on their personal observations or on clear facts or evidence.
· Raise questions with election officials and bring irregularities to their attention but will not interfere with their duties.
· Carry identification badges and comply with all regional and national laws and regulations.
· Exhibit the highest levels of personal discretion and professional behaviour at all times.
Dr Rizgar Amin
Dr Shirwan Mufti
Dr Firiad Hewezi
Dr Sayah Saied
Dr Mohammad Kayani
- KurdishMedia.com
- 17/05/2009 00:00:00