IFC Stand In Regards to December 15, Elections and Its Initiative to End the Current Situations

As we warn that the December elections will not meet the criteria of any legitimate elections, such as the free democratic participation of the people and making their decision in electing and forming a regime of their own chosen. Also IFC warn that this election will deepen the sectarian division and push the society towards a civil war. Furthermore IFC made it clear that holding such elections will not resolve the security and freedom issues and restoring civility by providing social services, and employment.

The outcome of the initial result has proven our anticipation, for instance the sectarian stand off has become tenser as many sectarian statements are being delivered all across the country.

Surprisingly the parties and groups including the ones discrediting the elections and even describing it as a biggest fraud in history, overlooked the violation of human rights and political freedom in the eve of the elections such as terrorizing and murdering candidates of each others, the absolute control of militias and imposing a climate of fear over the elections, and finally the revelations of massive fraud discovered at the border towns while trucks carrying fake votes attempted to entering the country, not to mention the moral and religious pressure put on people by the Shiite clerics.

Therefore IFC views that:

·        This current crisis is not the immediate outcome of the elections, though it is a continuation of almost two years of confrontation, precisely since the establishment of the governing council who divided the society based on their ethnic and religious background and gave it a legal form throughout a constitution ratified by a referendum much the same as these elections.

·        The current conflict is not over the outcome of the elections, nor its credibility. In fact it is about who is going to get the biggest share in the parliament. And if the results got every ones satisfaction it would have been considered credible and celebrated for.

·        The solution presented by the powers who participated in the election to exit the current crisis is to form a government that maintain a decent share for the “Sunni Arabs” such as an indication to giving them the Ministry of Interior Post, cutting off a 20% or 30% of the votes belong to the Shiite alliance and distribute them among the other slates, or if all that did not work out they will re-hold the elections in the regions where the fraud is suspected. However we cannot see that these solutions will solve the problems by bringing any safety and security or to prevent a civil war.

Having mentioned those key issues, IFC views the ways to exit these situations are:

1.             Cancelling the results of the elections

2.             Forming a non-religious non-ethnic provisional government by holding a broad conference where all political powers, workers, students, women representatives are invited to partake.

3.             This government will commit to bring safety, freedom, and prosperity

4.             The dissolution of all ethnic- religious militias

5.             Make preparations to hold elections after  six months of the formation of this provisional government

6.             Making all financial and informational resources accessible by all groups and parties equally and fairly

7.             Having an international officials monitor the election process throughout the country without an intervention or suppression of any group or individual

8.             Facilitate the movement of the press and media to monitor the elections

Samir Adil

Iraqi Freedom Congress

December 26, 2005