Independent vs. powerful candidates: the role of public money in the electoral race in al-Anbar

Independent vs. powerful candidates: the role of public money in the electoral race in al-Anbar
2021-07-29T18:36:40+00:00

Shafaq News/ Electoral campaigns launched nearly two weeks ago in al-Anbar, western Iraq, have raised the tension among the candidates in the Governorate, amid warnings that "public money" might be abused to promote electoral propaganda by powerful politicians.

Observer revealed that candidates who currently occupy government positions use their powers to gain a headstart ahead of their competitors, especially the independent candidates.

The past few days have shed light upon the widening gap between the candidates amid fears of exploiting political money and the Governorate's unresolved issues, most notably the forcibly disappeared and displaced persons.

Jasem al-Rashid, an academic and an observer of the elections' affairs in al-Anbar, stated, "it is customary in law for every official to step down from his position and then exercise his right for electoral campaigning," he noted, "officials exercising their electoral right from their position will exert pressure on the public and exploit public money, job, or office, and the state's tools and capacities, which makes them superior to independent candidates."

"Political money holders, and those who use public money for electoral campaigning, will prevail because they have the power, in addition to exploiting the state's resources," al-Rashid told Shafaq News Agency, "this helps the candidate in office, by outperforming other independents, while at the same time generating frustration among voters."

"The law must be enforced, and the officials approved by the Independent High Electoral Commission should be removed from office before exercising electoral campaigning to be equal to the independent candidate," he said.

"The High Electoral Commission was supposed to maintain minimum opportunities and act as a safety valve of the electoral process," al-Anbar candidate, Iyad Arak al-Dulaimi, asked, "how can I, an independent candidate, compete with a candidate with power and money?"

"The official should step down before running for election, but who is heeding this? I do not think we have any chance of winning in the presence of those with power, influence, and money. The Commission should have asked officials to step down before," he said.

Arak called on the International Community, the European Union, and the United Nations to interfere and devise a plan to implement strict international control over the electoral process and allocate at least 25% of the parliamentary seats to independent candidates because the political parties that have been in power since 2003 have failed to run the country.

"There is no law prohibiting the nomination of any official in charge, except for candidates from the security services, as they have to resign before running in the elections," said Mustafa al-Arsan, deputy governor of al-Anbar.

"There are no changes in the positions and administrations of Al-Anbar's departments," al-Arsan completed, "the administration is there. It is practicing its work and political life normally at the level of all candidates, whether independent or in office in any bloc or political party, everyone is working on their democratic electoral platform."

"It is illegal for candidates to remain in power. however, they still do it anyway," said Tarek Harb, a legal expert, "the law is responsible for such thing, as it is an exploitation of public money, government vehicles, and state media."

"This is an electoral crime, and the electoral law refuses it," Harb told Shafaq News agency, "the law is one thing, and its enforcement is something else."

Harb noted, sarcastically, "the electoral Commission has not taken any legal action against military candidates, so what about civilians? We rely on the recommendations of the UN Security Council on the Iraqi elections and their monitoring."

"Everyone in power is stained with financial and administrative corruption, and yet Iraqi society usually tends to elect those in power again and again, similar to the last election in which eight governors were elected. This means that the Iraqi voter tends to vote for those in power," Harb said.

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