Does the absence of a population census in Iraq hamper election preparations?
Dabbagh: There were considerable constraints faced by the IHEC when it started performing its tasks with the absence of a census. For example, identifying the number and names of the deceased in order to delete their names from the voters’ register. But we were able to do this with the help of Ninawa’s health department. But in any case, the current security conditions do not allow us to conduct a comprehensive population census, because we cannot guarantee the safety of staff in certain areas of the country. Niqash: The IHEC in Ninawa was criticized for holding job interviews in Erbil instead of Mosul. This was interpreted as Kurdish government interference in the election process. Dabbagh: The choice of the location was made on the central level, i.e., the decision was taken by the national office in Baghdad and not by our office in Ninawa… Erbil’s role in the interviews was limited to hosting the meetings. Of course, the national office in Baghdad believed that holding interviews in
