VZCZCXRO0023
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #1334/01 1411319
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211319Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3146
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001334 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: RRT ERBIL:  COUNTDOWN TO 25 JULY IN THE KRG FOR 
PARLIAMENTARY AND REGIONAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 
 
REF: A. A. BAGHDAD 1170 
     ¶B. B. BAGHDAD 1295 
 
This message is Sensitive but Unclassified; handle 
accordingly.  Not for distribution on the Internet. 
 
This is an Erbil Regional reconstruction Team (RRT) cable. 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary:  Kurdistan has decided to &go green,8 and 
will ban political advertising in public spaces considered 
environmentally unsafe or a visual blight.  Forty-two 
political lists have registered for the elections, of which 
22 are new lists. Campaigning, which is permitted to begin on 
May 22, is expected to be active in these elections.  RRT 
Erbil is working with the Independent High Electoral 
Commission (IHEC) and its satellite office, the Kurdistan 
Regional Electoral Office (KREO), to fund public outreach 
campaigns, including an ambitious television program.  End 
Summary. 
 
-------------------------- 
KRG Elections &Go green!8 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Beginning with the July 25 elections, political 
parties are now restricted from using handbill-style campaign 
posters glued to public walls and buildings.  The glue used 
to attach the posters is considered an environmental hazard, 
and the tattered posters that linger long after the campaign 
has ended are considered a visual blight.  Parties are also 
barred from spray painting logos through a stencil onto 
walls.  Handren Salih, the Director of the Erbil Govenorate 
Election Office (GEO), said that IHEC is considering the 
provision of a central location where posters can be mounted 
for viewing, which will be cleaned up following elections. 
Parties are not restricted from placing political banners 
around the cities, or from using posters mounted on a rope or 
wire.  These alternatives are considered more environmentally 
friendly. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Planned Voter Campaigns and Training 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  To cover the region, the Kurdistan Regional 
Government (KRG) is planning to open 5,403 voting stations at 
1,150 centers.  Polling centers may contain multiple 
stations, and each polling station will be able to 
accommodate a maximum of 500 voters.  IHEC,s three GEOs have 
hired 310 additional voting center managers.  Hiring was 
completed on May 6, and official acceptance letters were to 
go out the same day.  Handren believes that increased voter 
education would lead to better turnout and a reduction in 
spoiled ballots. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  IHEC itself will not use a poster campaign as part 
of its generic voter-education program, as self-assessments 
following the 2005 elections proved this style of education 
was not as effective in the KRG as had been hoped.  For 2009, 
both the GEO and KREO believe that mobile teams speaking 
directly with potential voters will give better results.  RRT 
Erbil is working on funding for a small QRF grant to expand 
mobile team coverage in Erbil Province. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The Erbil GEO Handren Salih has personally 
designed a three-pronged voter education campaign, consisting 
of a newsletter, five mobile public-outreach teams to visit 
areas outside the city centers, and an ambitious television 
program.  The format for the proposed television series will 
consist of 27 separate programs, aired nightly on consecutive 
days.  One political party per program will present the 
party's platform and governance plan for 30 minutes. 
Following the political presentation, journalists and other 
political commentators will be permitted to question the 
candidate and ask for clarifications.  Each program would 
last 45 minutes, with an additional five minutes allotted for 
Qlast 45 minutes, with an additional five minutes allotted for 
the political entity of the evening to air a political 
campaign commercial.  During the final 90-minute capstone 
program, Handren envisions bringing all 27 of the candidates 
together for a brief two-minute recap of their positions, 
followed by a climatic debate between the candidates.  He has 
already cut a deal for free airtime on the Nawroz TV network, 
and is seeking a second small USG QRF grant to fund the 
stipends for journalists and commentators. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  KREO Director Ali Obeid believes that it is not 
only IHEC,s responsibility to educate voters, and has asked 
various media outlets to publish educational tracts and the 
activities of IHEC as a public service.  He plans to petition 
the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs to encourage 
imams to deliver &get out the vote8 message in Friday 
 
BAGHDAD 00001334  002 OF 002 
 
 
sermons.  He wants to work with local universities to pass 
down messages to students, as he believes that they are 
&education centers.8  All of this, he explains, is in the 
public interest and should be part of a volunteer effort by 
multiple parties. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Political campaigning is legally entitled to begin 
following the close of the candidate nomination period, and 
will run from May 22 until July 23, closing two days before 
Election Day.  Ali Obeid stated he believes there will be 
intense competition in this year's campaigning season.  He 
also reiterated his request for international monitors to be 
as involved as is possible.  (Note: IHEC has prepared 
invitations for international observers, but was directed to 
send the letters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 
Baghdad for official distribution). 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Comment:  As noted in reftel, the campaign season 
has already (if unofficially) started.  RRT will continue to 
monitor the campaign for harassment and intimidation of 
voters, and continue to report on elections preparations.  We 
will also continue to explore ways to provide assistance via 
QRF and other means to support local efforts to prepare for 
the KRG election as well as the national elections planned 
for January.  End Comment. 
HILL