At a Glance

• Election Law No. 12 of 2018 must be amended to allow the National Card.
• The Electoral Commission is technically and logistically prepared for the transition.
• The Prime Minister ordered the Ministry of Interior to supply necessary data.

The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) stated that Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi’s order to exclusively use the Unified National Card for voting requires an amendment to the election law, while mandating the Ministry of Interior to supply the necessary data to the Commission.

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Key Statement and Focus Areas

• IHEC spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalai noted that Election Law No. 12 of 2018 must be amended, as current legislation exclusively recognizes the biometric card for voting.
• Al-Ghalai emphasized that the Electoral Commission has expressed its full technical readiness to implement the transition to the National Card for the voting process.
• Iraq's Election Law No. 12 of 2018 is the core legislation governing parliament and council elections, which legally mandates that only official biometric voter cards can be recognized to cast a ballot.

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According to the IHEC spokesperson, the Commission remains fully prepared logistically to integrate the National Card system into upcoming electoral cycles.

Al-Zaidi chaired a joint meeting between the Ministry of Interior and the Independent High Electoral Commission yesterday, directing that the Unified National Card be officially adopted for future elections.

The joint session focused on detailing the technical and administrative frameworks required to implement the Unified National Card for future voting.

To meet key deadlines, officials outlined specialized coordination measures between the Ministry of Interior and the IHEC.

PM al-Zaidi believes that utilizing the National Card for voting will streamline the process for citizens and significantly enhance the integrity of future electoral data.

FYI

The integration of the National Card into the voting process was previously approved during the administration of former Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

Since then, a specialized committee has been working to address the technical and legal frameworks, ensuring data alignment with the electoral system to enhance public trust in the process.

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