CEPPS/IFES Quarterly Report: April 01 – June 30, 2014

In the lead-up to the April 30, 2014 Council of Representatives (CoR) elections and the Iraq Kurdistan Region (IKR) Governorate Council Elections (GCE), the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) provided the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) with support in the automated voter registration (AVR) system, accreditation of observers, special needs voting (SNV), and out of country voting (OCV). A number of workshops were implemented to target various aspects of election management. The most notable achievement this quarter was the successful preparation and conduct of two elections. The implementation of the AVR process and the introduction of electronic registration cards were also notable achievements. IFES played a significant role in these processes. The IHEC faced a tense political situation but demonstrated its capability to conduct smooth and effective electoral events regardless of the political situation and deteriorating security conditions. The IHEC made improvements in the electoral process in Iraq, including the introduction of technology in the electoral process by using electronic voter cards and new media for public outreach. However, acceptance of the results will be key for the formation of a new government in the aftermath of the elections as well as for the promotion of stable security conditions in the country. IFES observed the proceedings of the Election Day via four teams deployed to Erbil. IFES issued three sub-grants supporting voter education efforts for the April 30 elections as part of its second round of sub-grants. It is estimated that the projects reached about 20,000 people through its workshops, seminars, conferences, and other activities throughout Iraq. The activities had a particular emphasis on the 2014 CoR elections and some of them had a special focus on the use of the electronic voter card and the IHEC call center. The projects also fostered NGO-IHEC collaboration as the IHEC GEO staff were invited to participate in the various activities undertaken by the NGOs. Throughout the reporting period, IFES provided international stakeholders with key analytical information on the electoral context and process, including legal changes. IFES also conducted a number of briefings and presentations on the CoR and IKR GC elections for USAID and the US Embassy Political Section, including a presentation for the US Embassy and USAID representatives in Erbil, on April 3, which was also attended by the US Embassy representatives based in the Baghdad and Basra offices via video teleconference and a presentation at the US Embassy in Baghdad for international observers and international community members on April 17. On April 13, IFES' Chief of Party met with the Deputy Assistant Administrator for USAID's Bureau for the Middle East, USAID's Iraq Mission Director, and other representatives of USAID Iraq to present the project and to discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by the upcoming elections and how a government formation period may affect implementation of USAID's programs. On April 28, the Chief of Party conducted a conference call with professional staff from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. IFES also authored and released a post-elections Questions and Answers (Q&A) on the 2014 Council of Representatives elections, which was published at the IFES website. This post-election Q&A discussed the importance of the elections for the future of Iraq and provided an initial assessment of the conduct of the elections. On June 11, IFES' CoP and Deputy CoP participated in the 2014 Iraq CoR Elections Lessons Learned and Tasks Ahead roundtable organized by the European Union (EU) and delivered a presentation on the elections preparations, conduct, and lessons learned. On June 17, due to the escalating conflict in Iraq and following the posture of USAID to send some of its staff to either Erbil, Basra, or outside the country to work remotely as a precautionary measure, IFES-Iraq evacuated the IFES expat team based in Baghdad. The IFES-Iraq expat team has been working remotely and will return to Baghdad when the conditions permit. IFES' Advisors worked remotely from home to continue the development of the IHEC's Strategic Plan outline. Once finalized, it will be shared with the IHEC Strategic Planning Committee for review and feedback. Also, they worked on the IHEC's outreach campaign plan for the continuous voter registration (CVR) scheduled to roll out at the end of September. They also developed concept papers, agendas, and training materials for the upcoming workshops. The security situation in Iraq rapidly deteriorated in June, with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and supporting armed groups beginning a major offensive in the north against the Iraqi government. The ISIL and aligned forces captured several cities and other territory, beginning with an attack on Samarra on June 5, followed by the seizure of Mosul on June 9, and Tikrit on June 11. As the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF