Turcomans have fears about rigging coming elections – MP

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A Turkoman lawmaker on Friday expressed fears that rigging might occur in the forthcoming parliamentary, noting negotiations are underway to vote for a no-confidence motion against Iraq’s Independent Higher Electoral Commission. “No-confidence vote against the IHEC or any other state institution is the constitutional and legal right for the Iraqi parliament. Negotiations are going on in this respect,” Akram Tarzi told IraqiNews.com news agency. “We have evidence that this IHEC has been formed on the basis of the abhorrent sectarian quota system and we have our own concerns and doubts that the forthcoming elections might be rigged like the case with the 2005 elections,” Tarzi added. Iraqi legislators had called for replacing the commissioners council in the IHEC after its chief, Faraj al-Haydari, was questioned last week over accusations of “corruption” that occurred during the recent provincial councils elections. Tarzi, who belongs to the Sarist bloc, or Iraqi members of parliament loyal to Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, called for adopting “the smart card system in the coming election in a bid to prevent rigging”. Haydari had said that denying the IHEC confidence in parliament would mean that the legislative elections in the country would be held without a new commission formed. Iraq’s parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held on January 16, 2010. AmR (S) 1