Special Elections Report: Domestic Observation
Highlights
The Coalition of Independent and Non-Partisan Election Monitors and USAID's implementing partners collaborated on the training of approximately 12,000 election monitors for the January 30 elections.
"We know this is not a perfect situation and we know that the election process is not going to be easy. But we can play a part in it; we can do something about it. And, yes, we are scared, but we must face the challenge that is ahead of us."
- NGO representative and trainer for the Coalition of Iraqi Non-partisan Domestic Election Monitors (CINEM) |
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Training Election Monitors
More than 100 core members of the Iraqi organization, the Coalition of Independent and Non-Partisan Election Monitors (CINEM), were trained by USAID partners in a series of training academies. CINEM members came from every governorate in Iraq, and then returned to their home districts to each train approximately 100 additional monitors.
The core election monitoring training covered Iraqi election law and regulations; international best practices for monitoring; recruiting additional monitors; administrative and financial transparency; and reporting on election monitoring.
CINEM election monitors--and all other election monitors working under the leadership of the Iraqi Election Information Network (Iraqi EIN), the domestic monitor coordinating umbrella--worked from a Trainers Guide and an Observer's Handbook that was generated in consultation with CINEM, and USAID's implementing partner.
The Independent Election Commission of Iraq (IECI) reported that approximately 55,000 domestic elections monitors and political party monitors were accredited, including as many as 12,000 trained through the USAID-supported process.
Monitors were trained country-wide, including in Iraq's most insecure areas. For example, the Iraqi coalition trained 600 monitors from the governorates of Mosul, 400 for Al Anbar, 350 for Tikrit and 360 for Diyala. At the regional level, all core trainers were formally and transparently allocated required funds for the training and deployment cost of the monitors under their direct supervision. At the governorate level, coordinators and trainers reviewed final logistical details as well as the geographic distribution of monitors based on the location of the IECI designated polling centers. Computers were also installed in each governorate office to compile data on all monitors.
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USAID SUPPORTS WOMEN AS LEADERS IN IRAQ'S DEMOCRACY
Iraqi women are increasingly serving in Iraqi national and local government institutions. The Transitional Administrative Law states a goal of achieving 25 percent representation of women in the Transitional National Assembly. USAID's Democracy and Governance programs are supporting Iraqi women's efforts to empower themselves and push for better representation in government institutions.
Twenty-five women members of the Interim National Council (INC) recently focused on the challenges and issues that women face as members of the INC and the future Transitional National Assembly during a three-day conference supported by USAID.
A network of Iraqi women's NGOs participated in USAID's election monitoring training; USAID regularly supports training for women political activists
For more information on the elections please visit the website of the Iraqi Election Information Network. EIN is an NGO coordinating elections support across Iraq.
www.iraqiein.org/english
Consistent with USAID's policy with regard to supporting elections, USAID activities in Iraq make a good faith effort to assist all political organizations with equitable levels of assistance, do not seek to determine election outcomes, and support representative multiparty systems.
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A USAID implementing partner also trained many of the approximately 30,000 political party agent observers mobilized on Election Day and supported the production and distribution of 250,000 political party agent observer manuals in advance of the elections.
Supporting the Iraqi Election Information Network (EIN)
In the months leading up to the January elections, the Iraqi Election Information Network (EIN) worked extensively with USAID's implementing partner to coordinate Iraq's domestic election monitors. The EIN played an important role in the successful deployment and supervision of Iraq's successful election monitoring effort. Before the election, EIN received its full NGO accreditation from the Iraqi Ministry of Planning, and hired several core staff members at the headquarters, regional and governorate level.
During a seminar organized by USAID partners, EIN leadership designed an election monitoring plan involving committee development, media strategy, crisis management, election-day activities, and a deployment schedule for election monitors. The training also brought EIN up to date on administrative, financial, and strategic procedures. The support for the EIN was coordinated with both the European Union and the United Nations.
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