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Brussels
18th February 2010.
To the attention of the
President of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC): Baghdad –
IRAQ
Copy to
The Director of
the Office for the voting of the Iraqis living outside Iraq : IHEC
office in Erbil-Iraq.
The Director of the Office
responsible for the voting of the Iraqis in Holland : IHEC office in The
Hague –The
Netherlands.
Gentlemen,
The Iraqi people are looking
forward with great hope and high
expectations to the next Parliamentary elections,
scheduled to take place on
7th March 2010 inside Iraq, and on 5th,
6th and
7th of March 2010 in 16 foreign countries for the
voting of Iraqis living outside Iraq.
All patriotic Iraqis who love
their country and aim at serving the Iraqi people by defending their
rights and rebuilding their country after years of war, destruction and
occupation, hope that these coming elections will be fair and clean,
without any cheating, ballot rigging, manipulation, threats or
intimidations which unfortunately took place in the past two
parliamentary elections
in Iraq.
Iraqis expect that these
coming elections will take place in a peaceful and democratic
environment so that the majority of them can participate and cast their
votes during these elections, the results of which will hopefully
reflect the true representation of all the components of the Iraqi
people, without discrimination, marginalization or assimilation of any
community, ethnic group
or political organization representing any of the communities composing
the Iraqi people.
This can only be achieved if
the elections take place under the strict control and vigilant
supervision of IHEC, with the participation of an adequate number of
international observers, from the U.N., the E.U, and some well known and
well established international NGOs which have experience in supervising
elections and have been active in the field of promoting democracy in
countries where its concept is relatively new and its application is
still facing some problems and difficulties as in Iraq.
Your organization, the IHEC,
bears a huge responsibility in making the coming Parliamentary elections
a success by duly informing the Iraqi people, by effectively promoting
the democratic process in Iraq , by doing your utmost in contributing to
provide a peaceful environment during the electoral campaign as well as
during the voting day all over Iraq .
It is of extreme importance
that all Iraqi citizens can freely access to the polling centres to cast
their votes for the list and for the candidate of their own free choice
and then safely return to their homes after accomplishing their
democratic duty.
We, the representatives of
the Iraqi Turkmens’ political and
civil society organizations in the
European Union, in
Turkey and in Syria have noticed and witnessed clear shortcomings of the
IHEC with respect to informing the Turkmens in their own language
(Turkish) even in areas and regions of Iraq which are densely populated
by Turkmens, such as in the governorates of Mosul,
Erbil, Kerkuk,
Salah Al-din, Diyala and Baghdad.
Indeed, a few days ago we
have seen on Turkmeneli TV an intolerable discrimination against the
Turkmens during a meeting organized by IHEC to which some Turkmen civil
society representatives had been invited, and for which IHEC had
prepared booklets and banners written in Arabic, Kurdish and
Assyrian only, and
nothing in Turkish ! Even though the IHEC know very well that the
Turkmens represent Iraq ’s third main ethnic group and Kerkuk’s main
ethnic community.
The above example is a
flagrant violation of Turkmens’ constitutional rights, as the
constitution recognises the Turkmens’ language (Turkish) as an official
language in Iraq , wherever Turkmens represent a high density of
population.
We, Turkmens, deplore this
shortcoming and demand that from now on all publications by IHEC,
related to the elections concerning the governorates and regions of Iraq
where Turkmens live and represent the first, the second or the third
community, be published also in the Turkish language alongside the other
two official languages
of Iraq (Arabic and Kurdish).
These electoral material and
publications which are published by IHEC for the coming elections may
include informative booklets, procedures,
electoral lists,
and posters.
We
request that any such IHEC material also be sent to all foreign
countries where the Turkmen Diaspora exists in great number and where
elections will be organised such as in Canada,
Denmark, Germany,
Holland, Iran,
Jordan, Syria,
Sweden, Turkey,
UK, USA etc...
Participation to the next
Parliamentary election is not only a fundamental right given to all
Iraqi citizens above 18 years of age, but it is also the duty of all
Iraqis who are eager to establish a true and solid
democracy in Iraq.
We, Turkmen representatives
in the European Union, Syria and Turkey , are doing our best in
promoting the upcoming election and encouraging our community members
and all our Iraqi compatriots to participate in the next election.
We aim at contributing to
make this coming election a success, consolidating the political process
and establishing a real
democracy in Iraq .
We trust that you will
respond positively to our legitimate requests soon and we wish you all
the best and success in your important task.
May God help all patriotic
and sincere citizens of Iraq .
Yours
truly,
Dr. Hassan AYDINLI
Iraqi Turkmen Front
E.U. Representative
Brussels
- Belgium
Ganim AUTHMAN
Iraqi Turkmen Front
Germany
Representative
Berlin
– Germany
Sundus ABBAS
Iraqi Turkmen Front
U.K.
Representatıve
London
– U.K.
Sadun
Koprulu
Iraqi Turkmen Front
Turkey
Representative
Ankara
– Turkey
Dr. Suphi
N. TAVFIK
Iraqi Turkmen Front
Syria
Representative
Damascus
– SYRIA
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