US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4284

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 004284 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PNAT, PHUM, IZ, Elections 
SUBJECT: PM AGREES NOT TO DELAY DECEMBER ELECTION 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari met with Ambassador 
Khalilzad and UK Ambassador William Patey on October 16 to 
discuss delaying the date for registration of political 
coalitions from October 21 to November 4 and the date of the 
National Assembly election from December 15 to December 29. 
They discussed the timing of logistical arrangements 
necessary to conduct the registration of coalitions and 
candidates, the printing and delivery of ballot materials, 
and the conduct of the elections themselves. 
 
2. (C) After reviewing these considerations, the Prime 
Minister agreed with the Ambassadors that the date of the 
election should not change.  The election will be held on 
December 15.  Similarly, the deadline for the registration of 
political party coalitions will remain October 21. 
 
3. (C) The Ambassadors noted that there is some flexibility 
on the deadline for submitting the list of candidates, whose 
names do not appear on the ballots themselves.  The ballots 
themselves will just note the name and graphic symbol of the 
political coalition groups.  At the recommendation of the UN 
Commissioner to the IECI, the voting members of the IECI 
Board of Directors have the authority to move the deadline 
for registration of candidate lists from October 21 to 
November 4 without impacting the date of the December 15 
election.  The Prime Minister agreed with this idea. 
Khalilzad