New Iraqi electoral policy a 'flagrant violation' of human rights: Commission

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A member of the Iraqi Human Rights Commission charged on Wednesday that a new national policy that would suspend the salaries of government employees until they have updated their electoral registration cards salaries is a "flagrant violation" of human rights and international election norms.

"We affirm that the electoral process is a democratic practice in which the citizen is entitled to participate or not to participate, according to what his circumstances, vision, and understanding dictate," said commission member Ali al-Bayati in a statement.

He stressed, "There is no legal or constitutional article that compels a citizen to update his electoral data."

Bayati said he considered that compelling citizens to participate in elections violates the principles of human rights and their freedom to exercise their right to express their opinions, adding, “It also paves the way for an untrustworthy electoral environment that negatively affects the election results and their integrity.”

He called for the immediate cancellation of recent directives that would freeze government salaries.

On Jan. 12, the Council of Ministers voted on a preliminary decision regarding the long-term electoral voter card as one of the official requirements adopted in state departments, granting their employees a period of 60 days to update their biometric data and withholding the monthly pay of any who do not comply.

Editing by John J. Catherine