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National ID vs. Biometric Card: Solutions to Prevent Election Fraud Face Technical Hurdles

As the parliamentary elections draw near, discussions around “fraud” and ways to reduce or eliminate it are resurfacing. Among the proposed solutions is the suggestion to rely on the National ID card in the elections, replacing the biometric card specifically designed for the electoral process. While this proposal is still in the “political discussion” phase, it faces numerous technical obstacles related to the voter database, election devices, and legal amendments.

Mokhtar al-Mousawi, a member of the Fatah Alliance, stated in an interview with Al-Aalam Al-Jadeed that the alliance is discussing the option of using the unified National ID for voting in coordination with the Ministry of Interior. This is to study the mechanisms and challenges associated with this option and assess its feasibility.

Al-Mousawi added that the primary goal of this option is to reduce fraud and manipulation in the electoral process, aiming to avoid a repeat of the 2021 elections, which witnessed significant contention. He noted that while using the National ID may not completely eliminate fraud, it would substantially reduce it and represents a better option compared to the biometric card.

He further emphasized that the matter is still under discussion and negotiation among political blocs, and no final agreements have been reached so far. He pointed out that some regions, such as the Kurdistan region, disputed areas, and Salah al-Din, witnessed instances of fraud in previous elections, underscoring the need for more accurate and transparent mechanisms to ensure the credibility of the upcoming elections.

The 2021 parliamentary elections were marked by significant tensions, with calls from various political forces for a manual recount, following accusations of result tampering and fraud. The election process saw heated exchanges between political blocs and the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), accompanied by protests and objections to the electronic counting mechanisms and doubts about the result transmission devices. This led the IHEC to conduct a manual recount in several stations to ensure the process’s integrity.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Bahaa al-Arajy recently confirmed in a press interview that the previous elections encountered many issues, with numerous complaints about the devices used in the Kurdistan region, which prompted the proposal to adopt the unified National ID instead of the voter card. This is especially relevant given that the Ministry of Interior has stated that over 90% of Iraqis possess the unified ID.

Significant Obstacles

Walid al-Zubaidi, an electoral affairs expert, emphasized in an interview with Al-Aalam Al-Jadeed that relying on the National ID as a voting method would require substantial efforts, including amendments to the electoral law, updates to the software systems, and modifications to the current devices. This would necessitate additional time and budgets to ensure the election process proceeds smoothly without complications.

Al-Zubaidi continued that this option would involve scrapping the current voter database, which was established in 2008 and has undergone frequent field updates over 17 years. It would also present logistical challenges, including the need to redistribute voters to new polling stations, potentially causing chaos and confusion.

In 2014, Iraq’s IHEC signed a contract with the Spanish company “Indra” to provide biometric registration devices for registering voters using biometric data, such as fingerprints and photos. A total of 1,079 centers were set up across Iraq for this purpose. However, the timeframe was insufficient to complete the biometric registration comprehensively, leading the IHEC to temporarily halt the use of the biometric system before issuing traditional voter cards and later resuming the biometric registration process.

Al-Zubaidi pointed out that adopting the National ID could lead to significant political problems, particularly in disputed areas like Nineveh, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk, and Diyala. In these regions, some voters currently vote in the Kurdistan region, while their national records indicate other locations. On election day, these voters might be able to cast ballots in multiple areas.

He also noted that relying on the National ID would eliminate the special voting system for security forces, which currently have separate voter registration records and biometric cards. Since the National ID is a general card and does not distinguish between special and general voting, this could conflict with existing electoral regulations.

The previous elections also witnessed, as revealed by former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, numerous complaints from certain areas, particularly regarding political entities and parties threatening citizens to bring the IDs of their entire families and vote for them. He also confirmed that some groups tried to coerce voters, influence their decisions, and bypass the state and law.

Legal Hurdles

Legal expert Ali al-Tamimi explained in an interview with Al-Aalam Al-Jadeed that while different opinions on amending the electoral law are respected, the current law stipulates that elections should be held using the electronic card, and this legal provision cannot be bypassed without an official amendment.

Al-Tamimi continued that the use of the electronic card in elections has its justifications, primarily to reduce fraud and to expedite result announcement through the designated technical devices. However, amending the law to open the door for new mechanisms, such as paper or direct voting, would require in-depth studies.

It is worth noting that during the 2021 elections, the Coordination Framework sought to internationalize its demand for a full manual recount. However, the international community’s acknowledgment of the election results prevented the issue from being internationalized, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not engage with the demand.

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