Islamic State members could get voting cards, if distributed before checking names: MP

Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) An Iraqi MP representing Nineveh province has warned against distributing balloting cards before the security checking of the voters’ names, raising concerns that Islamic State members might have cards to cast their ballots.

In press remarks, Nahla al-Hababi said, “the elections commission is scheduled to open an office in Nineveh to hand the balloting cards to voters in the province in February.”

Hababi expressed concerns that IS members in Nineveh would get cards, saying that “the best solution is that intelligence authorities conduct the security check of names before distributing the balloting cards.”

The High Elections Commission earlier announced opening offices in Nineveh this month to distribute the balloting cards and update the records.

Iraqi parliament approved, previously, holding the legislative elections as scheduled on May 12.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced, in December, full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.

Thousands of IS militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.

The war against IS has so far displaced at least five million people. Thousands of others fled toward neighboring countries including Syria, Turkey and other European countries, since IS emerged to proclaim its self-styled “caliphate”.