The registration of voters would start in November and would last for 6 weeks in preparation for Iraq's first democratic elections due in January, 2005, a senior election official told Xinhua on Friday.

Fareed Ayar, spokesperson of the Independent Higher Commission of Elections in Iraq, made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Ayar said in the interview that "the registering of the voters is one of the several election procedures considered by the commission, which issued on Friday four regulations related to the electoral rules and procedures such as registration, certifications of political entities and voters."

The four regulations were enacted to ensure the electoral process to be honest and free from any outside influence, the spokesperson said, adding that the certifying of political entities would also start in November and would last for four weeks. In terms of the registration, the spokesperson said the most important conditions for an eligible voter are that he or she should hold the Iraqi nationality and be born before Dec. 31.

 As for the elections of the Kurdish national council or the governor rates councils, Ayar said, an eligible voter should also be a resident of the area concerned, besides meeting the above-mentioned conditions.

Eligible voters will have the rights to check their names in the preliminary registration records and to correct the mistakes and misprints according to certain procedures that will be issued by the commission later, added Ayar.

The spokesperson said his commission will open registration centers for the voters all over Iraq and will determine when they start to work.

Any one eligible to take part in the elections, whose name is not listed in the registration record, can ask the registration center to put his name in the record after submitting required documents to prove his eligibility, according to the regulations by the commission.
 
Ayar noted that if a person wants to run for the elections alone, he should obtain official certifications from the commission.

Any political group will not have the right to nominate anyone if it is not certified by the commission as a political entity, said the spokesperson, adding that the law permits the forming of political coalitions in the electoral campaigns.

Ayar said a sum of 2.5 million Iraqi dinars (US$1,600) is required as the application fee for anyone who wants to run independently in the elections and 7.5 million Iraqi dinars (US$5,000) for any group wishing to enroll as a political entity. "The rule stipulates that the political entity should not have any relation with any militia or military unit and should not receive any fund, direct or indirect, from any militia or military unit. It should also abide by the Iraqi laws, regulations and procedures issued by the commission," said the spokesperson. According to the regulations, at least one woman should appear in the first three nominees on the nomination list of any political group and at least two women within the first six, and thus to the end of the list, said Ayar.

The spokesperson said that the commission is now studying more regulations and procedures that would make thorough preparation for the coming elections under the supervision of the United Nations early next year.

(Xinhua News Agency October 10, 2004)