Iraqi candidates lay low over security fears
By IWPR-trained reporters
Not everyone is allowed to know that Rawaa al-Oggaidi is running for office.
"I receive phone calls asking me if I'm taking part in the polls. I deny it,
saying I've been mistaken for someone with a similar name," said the candidate
from Mosul, one of Iraq's most violent cities.
Other precautions Oggaidi takes against attack include staying indoors all the
time and limiting her campaign team to close relatives. A member of the
opposition al-Iraqiya list, she only makes direct contact with friends and
trusted supporters, mostly through the phone or the Internet.
"I've turned my home into a workshop. My husband and family
help promote my message by circulating flyers," she said.
"If it wasn't for the current security situation, I would be visiting schools
and hospitals and holding discussions with the voters."
Iraq holds a nationwide parliamentary election on March 7, and candidates in
several provinces fear the threat of violence could harm their chances. Many
entering the race independently, or with smaller or opposition blocs, say they
cannot afford the security available to better-funded rivals.
Cramped by danger, their campaign styles combine state of the art and more
traditional methods: text messages and websites together with appeals
communicated through clan and tribal channels.
The outsiders in the race claim the insecurity favors the incumbents. They say
candidates backed by relatively powerful parties can call on more protection,
and therefore move around with relative ease on the campaign trail.
Election commission officials deny the charge and some leaders of the stronger
blocs, who argue that security has generally improved and those threats that
remain affect all candidates.
Though the bloodshed in Iraq is less than it was at the time of the 2005
parliamentary vote, many contenders in this election still feel they are
risking their lives. Candidates' names were kept secret in the previous poll
because of security fears, forcing voters to choose between blocs rather than
individuals. This time, the names have been made public - a move that has
heightened safety concerns in some provinces.
Violence has been rising in the campaign period, particularly in regions with a
large Sunni Arab or mixed population. At least two candidates have been
murdered.
"Government officials have troops protecting them. They can have roads shut
down wherever they go," said Ahmed Ganem, a candidate from Anbar province with
the Iraqi Movement for Dialogue and Change, a small bloc. "We don't have that
kind of power. It's totally unfair."
Waaiya Jalal al-Hanafi, a candidate from Baghdad, said there was a vast gulf
between candidates' campaigns. "Because of our limited budget, we are almost
invisible," he said. "We are also afraid of being killed, so we can't move
freely, hold gatherings and educate people about our message."
Hanafi is a member of the Unity Alliance of Iraq, a bloc whose leader, Interior
Minister Jawad al-Bolani, is being seen as an opposition figure in this
election because he has avoided making alliances with the Shi'ite-led
coalitions that dominate the government.
Though Bolani recently addressed a large rally in Baghdad, Hanafi said he
feared for his own safety and - unlike Bolani - could not move around freely or
hold gatherings.
Talal Jumaa al-Jiburi, a candidate from Diyala for the Iraqi Accord Front, a
Sunni Arab bloc that has seen several high-profile leaders defect to other
coalitions, said danger had restricted his campaign's reach.
"I can't visit areas of Diyala that are controlled by armed groups, as well as
Shi'ite Arab areas controlled by Shi'ite parties," he said. "I'm certain we
would have a better chance of winning if we could campaign in these parts."
Iman Mosa Hamadi, a candidate for the Iraqiya bloc in Anbar province, said she
was particularly worried about hardline Sunni insurgents. "We don't fear the
competition of other blocs or parties as much as we fear al-Qaeda," she said.
In February, a statement purportedly released by the largely homegrown
insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq labeled the elections a crime and announced
plans for their sabotage. In Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, bombers
killed more than 30 people on March 3, attacking government buildings and a
hospital.
In Anbar province, west of the capital, bombs have struck official buildings
and security forces in recent weeks.
In the northern city of Mosul, a new wave of killings has targeted the
Christian minority. In Baghdad, meanwhile, the months leading up to the
election have been punctuated by massive bombings destroying ministries and
hotels.
Officials from IHEC, the Iraqi election commission, declined to comment on
candidates' access to protection on the campaign trail. However, they said,
inequalities in the parties' budgets would inevitably affect the result of the
election.
"Bigger blocs have more exposure to the public and this could give them a
better chance of winning," Qassim al-Abudi, an IHEC spokesman, said. "This is
the reality." He added that IHEC was tasked with investigating complaints of
violations but had no authority to look into funding.
Karim al-Tamimi, an IHEC commissioner, said gaps in legislation had led to the
discrepancies in the scale of campaigning. "The law for regulating political
funding has yet to be ratified," he said.
A candidate from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition
insisted he had been able to canvass for votes freely, thanks to better
security.
"I didn't face any difficulty campaigning in any part of Iraq or Baghdad. This
was not because we were backed by the government or security forces, but
because security as a whole has improved," Haider al-Abadi told the Institute
for War and Peace Reporting.
"Some candidates might complain about the inequality in exposure to the public
but this is normal and happens everywhere," he said.
"We have been working in government for four years. You cannot compare us to a
party or candidate that has today decided to run for election. The weight of
people's support is the decisive factor, not security or the presence of
private guards."
In Anbar province, however, a candidate from Bolani's Unity Alliance of Iraq
dismissed claims that improvements in security had made campaigning much
easier.
"If the security situation was normal, I would contact people personally,"
Faris Taha said. "I would hold meetings and tribal forums in government
institutions and clubs."
Taha, a member of Anbar's provincial council, insisted he had provided for his
own security on the campaign trail. "I chose my bodyguards from among my
trusted relatives and have paid for them from my own expenses.
"Whoever says I can move around easily is wrong. Even officials with big
security teams fear bombs. I don't want to risk my life."
However, Taha also dismissed the complaint that smaller candidates were unable
to campaign freely because of security concerns. He argued that prominent
public figures running for election faced greater danger than the newcomers,
who were less well known.
"New candidates have a better chance of mixing with people than the officials,"
he said.
For many candidates in Diyala, Anbar and Mosul, the campaign has so far
demanded a blend of secrecy and selective self-promotion.
Several of them told IWPR they had enlisted members of their extended family as
bodyguards. Many said they did not leave the house, or did not publicize their
movements. Most said they relied heavily on printed flyers and campaign banners
to promote their message.
In Mosul, a candidate who asked not to be named told IWPR he was not taking any
risks, "I stay at home, where I receive guests and contacts. I know my campaign
is weak but I am relying on the support of my tribe."
Jiburi, the candidate from Diyala, said he had received several threatening
messages but was not troubled by them.
"I know those who threatened me are not armed, because if they were, they
wouldn't have sent messages. They would have carried out their threat," he
said.
IWPR-trained reporters in Mosul, Ramadi, Baghdad and Baquba contributed to this
report. Their names have been withheld as a security precaution.
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