US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI388

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000388 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2015 
TAGS: IZ, KDEM, PREL, TC 
SUBJECT: LOW REGISTRATION TURNOUT FOR IRAQI OCV PROGRAM 
 
REF: A) ABU DHABI 305 B) ABU DHABI 35 C) 04 ABU DHABI 
 
     4714 
 
1. (C) Summary: While participant turnout significantly 
improved after the first disappointing day of Iraqi 
out-of-county voting (OCV) registration (ref. A), IOM 
officials are still questioning why so few UAE-based Iraqis 
are taking the opportunity to vote in the January 28-30 
elections.  Registration dates were extended to January 25, 
and polls extended their hours to remain open from 8 am to 7 
pm, to lure more voters.  While the extension did boost the 
final numbers, in the end just 12,581 Iraqi citizens 
registered to vote ) 9,520 in Dubai and 3,061 in Abu Dhabi. 
Those involved in the election process agree that the primary 
reason for the low turnout is voter apathy, followed by 
security concerns by both voters and candidates, and the 
logistical and financial hardship incurred by voters who have 
to travel to the polling centers twice to register and vote. 
End summary. 
 
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REGISTRATION NUMBERS FAR BELOW IOM EXPECTATIONS 
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2. (C) Michael Burke, Head of the UAE,s IOM OCV program, 
told Poloff that logistically the registration process was 
smooth and the support received from the UAEG was 
outstanding.  However, he said that the polling centers 
&could use some more Iraqis.8  His initial registration 
goals were 30,000 for Dubai and 15,000 for Abu Dhabi, out of 
an estimated 60,000-100,000 Iraqi residents in the Gulf. 
Burke said the low turnout was due primarily to voter apathy. 
 Most eligible voters didn't know the candidates and what the 
party platforms were, and they did not feel strongly for the 
small number of candidates for whom they did have some 
information.  He said other Iraqis told him that they would 
stay away from the polls until the war was over and 
&occupation forces8 were out of Iraq.  Burke also listed 
the &gap period8 between the registration and voting dates 
as financially and logistically prohibitive for voters 
traveling from outside the UAE.  He believed the polls could 
have drawn 5,000 or more voters if same-day registration and 
voting was offered. 
 
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IRAQI POLITICAL ACTIVISTS NOT SURPRISED BY LOW NUMBERS 
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3. (C) The president of the Iraqi Businessmen's Council, 
Talib Khan, said that turnout was within the expatriate 
community's expectations.  He estimated that approximately 
35,000 UAE-based Iraqis were eligible to vote, and his group 
predicted that between 12,000-15,000 would register to vote. 
He opined that there would have been a much higher turnout if 
eligible voters would have been able to register and vote 
during one visit to the polling center.  Khan said that most 
people could not afford to go to the center twice, either due 
to travel expenses or the time required away from their jobs. 
 For example, he said that the Iraqi Ambassador to Bahrain 
would not vote because it would be too expensive to bring his 
family down to the UAE twice to register and vote, and it 
would be equally prohibitive to bridge the time gap by 
staying here in a hotel.  If that was the case with an 
ambassador, Khan explained, imagine how difficult it would be 
for truck drivers or other laborers working in the Gulf to 
come to Dubai or Abu Dhabi twice to register and vote. 
 
4. (C) Khan praised UAEG-provided security at the polling 
centers, and said that his compatriots were not concerned for 
their physical safety at the centers.  However, he said that 
some were concerned that their names would end up on lists 
that might fall into the hands of those opposed to the 
elections.  More importantly, because most parties were not 
disclosing the names of their candidates due to security 
concerns, potential voters did not know for whom they were 
voting.  There was also little information available on the 
platforms of most of the 111 parties listed on the ticket, 
leading to further voter confusion.  Khan said that this lack 
of information on political parties and candidates led to 
disinterest in participating in the voting process for many 
of his compatriots. 
 
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MEDIA BLAMES FEAR AND APATHY FOR KEEPING VOTERS AWAY 
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5. (U) Local newspapers interviewed poll workers and eligible 
voters who chose to stay away from the polls, to try to 
determine why voter turnout was so low.  The reports named 
apathy as the primary reason why people weren't going to the 
polls, while others cited fear, a lack of adequate 
information about the candidates and party platforms, and 
little confidence in the polling process.  IOM spokesperson 
Nicola Baldwin told a Gulf News reporter that most UAE-based 
Iraqi citizens were likely not boycotting the ballot. 
Rather, many long-term UAE residents simply did not care to 
vote.  Other potential voters harbored fears of 
repercussions, despite assurances that the process was 
confidential and names would not be used for any other 
 
SIPDIS 
purposes.  Some cited little confidence in the legitimacy of 
the process, stating that &occupation forces8 would install 
candidates that suited them.  Some said that they would not 
participate in elections so long as there is no security and 
stability in Iraq, and while &occupation forces8 remained 
on Iraqi soil. 
 
6. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
SISON