UN slams negative campaigns against female Iraqi candidates, others
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The UN's envoy in Iraq denounced defamation campaigns in the run-up to national elections on Tuesday, primarily those targeting female candidates, saying such attacks undermine the democratic process.
“Vulgar acts against posters of women candidates and attacks against [the] reputation and honour of candidates and their families, pressing them to step down... affect their participation as voters, candidates, election officials, activists and future political leaders and members of parliament and government,” said the UN Special Representative for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, in a statement.
He urged political parties and all of Iraqi society to stand up against such vulgar acts and condemn them.
The national election is scheduled for May 12. A total of 6,904 candidates representing multiple parties are competing to fill 329 parliamentary seats.
Several female candidates in multiple parties have been targeted by online smear campaigns, including the circulation of derogatory videos and comments.
Member of parliament Antithar Al Shammari was dropped as a candidate from the party of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Thursday after a sex video in which she purportedly appeared was circulated online.
After a video of a young man kissing the campaign poster of a female candidate threatened to start a feud between two tribes in Iraq's southern city of Najaf, the situation was diffused only after an apology was made and an $85,000 cash settlement agreed to.
Kubiš recently met with female candidates to discuss "this alarming situation," and encouraged them "to press ahead with their campaigns, irrespective of the threats and intimidation they are facing." The UN reported that the women called for action "at the highest levels to ensure equal chances and fair competition is not undermined."
Last week, the representative announced that all parties in the Kurdistan Region participating in Iraq's upcoming national elections had signed a code of conduct proposed by the international body. The agreement, called the electoral Charter of Honour, outlines rules that will help ensure a free, fair, and civil campaign, conducted without hate speech. The document had been signed earlier by parties in various provinces in Iraq.
“I call upon the state, electoral and judicial institutions to investigate and take action against such abuses and their perpetrators," said Kubiš, "so that they can run their campaigns without threats and intimidation.”