Elections
USAID has awarded a cooperative agreement to the US non-governmental Consortium for Election and Political Processes Strengthening (CEPPS) which includes IRI, NDI and IFES. This agreement has a $50 million ceiling, of which $23 million has been obligated to date. Within this electoral processes grant USAID seeks to achieve the following:
- Voter Education (IRI): (1) Establishment of a Iraqi Voter Outreach Training and Education program (I-VOTE); (2) Promotion of voter education discussions through national media coverage and grassroots activism; and, (3) Utilization of mass media and multimedia technology to promote participation in the electoral process.
- Domestic Observation (NDI): Build the capacity of domestic organizations to be capable of monitoring electoral events and field domestic election observers. The civil society organizations will monitor the various stages of the election cycle, from the registration of voters and parties and the commencement of the political campaigns, to campaign tactics and the role that the government plays in the electoral process, to the final voting, counting and verification procedures, the processing of complaints, and the resolution of disputes.
- Conflict Mitigation (IFES): (1) Creation of an Iraqi Alliance for Peaceful Elections (IAPE); and (2) Production of a toolkit of techniques and approaches to be used in monitoring electoral conflict.
USAID is also supporting the Independent Election Commission in Iraq's (IECI) development of an election administration to implement a Transitional National Assembly election within the January 31, 2005 timeframe. The $40 million cooperative agreement with IFES seeks to achieve the following:
- Support to the Election Administration (IFES): (1) Work with the IECI and the UN to facilitate the development of an interim voters list; (2) Assist the IECI in the building of a national field infrastructure which will include the establishment of Governorate, sub-Governorate and local election IECI offices; (3) Provide emergency commodities and procurement support when necessary; and, (4) Provide international technical and operation assistance where requested by the IECI and the UN.
All support is provided at the request of the IECI and in direct coordination with UN activities.
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