Administrator’s Weekly Report
Governance
February 7 – February 13, 2004
HIGHLIGHTS
-- Recent CPA polls indicate passive Iraqi public support for the transfer of sovereignty and the
transitional administrative law.
-- CPA sponsored the production of the documentary film “Mass Graves”, which documents
and underscores the human atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein’s regime.
I.
Support Transition to Iraqi Sovereignty

According to CPA-sponsored surveys across Iraq, a majority of Iraqis support steps that
emphasize quick transfer.

Results from polls conducted in Baghdad, Basrah, Mosul, Ramadi, Samara, and Karbala
indicate that two-thirds of Iraqis agree that caucuses would be acceptable, although
elections are still the most popular choice. They also indicate that Iraqis support
individual rights and democracy in a religious context, but without favoring clerics in
government.

CPA began an assessment of the Iraqi Public Distribution System database to verify its
potential as a basis for a voter list for elections in late 2004/early 2005. This assessment
will include data testing at the local and national levels. The data available includes 15 of
the 18 governorates, with the 3 northern governorates still expected.

The Karbala Provincial Council plans to complete refreshment by February 15.
Refreshment processes in all governorates should be complete by early March. Ten
governorates in Iraq have Provincial Councils that have completed the refreshment
process to become more representative of their populations, in terms of gender and
ethnicity, than when originally chosen. The status of each Provincial Council is
contained in the following table (the three Northern governorates are not included):
REFRESHED
Qadisiyah
Wasit
Muthanna
Maysan
Basrah
Diyala
Salah Ad Din
Ninawa
Tamim
Anbar
IN PROCESS
Babil
Karbala
Najaf
Dhi Qar
Baghdad*
* Establishing Provincial Council
II.
Develop Civic Participation in Governance
Develop indigenous polling capacity; Provide women and youth with the skills necessary to
become important participants in the political process; Develop local civil society capacity to
conduct advocacy and participate in political life; Develop civic education programs promoting
electoral participation and democratic ideals; Build capacity for civil society conflict prevention
and mitigation

The CPA Civic Education Campaign continued the “Training the Trainers” program in
Al Hillah, focusing on the fundamentals of democracy. The program also instructs
participants how to maximize use of the democracy toolkit that has been developed to
assist those implementing democracy dialogue. After training is complete, the trainers
will plan and conduct seminars, workshops, and public meetings to discuss democracy in
Iraq.

The CPA facilitated seven selection procedures in Al Anbar Governorate Council
through the Local Governance Program (LGP). Approximately 250 individuals
participated in each selection process, which was filmed by the media.

The Baghdad Women’s Center Initiative will establish a center in Baghdad’s Al Mansour
district to increase the participation of women in the social, economic, and political life of
the community. A USAID grant will assist the center by providing office equipment and
supplies. CPA is rehabilitating and equipping women’s centers throughout Iraq and
providing women with training in subjects ranging from information technology to
political participation. To date, CPA has provided this assistance to Women’s Centers in
nine major cities -- Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah, Mosul, Al Kut, Diwaniyah, Hillah, Karbala,
Basrah, Najaf, and are working on centers in Agrah, Halabja, Tawela, and Biara. Nine
additional Women’s Centers are planned for Baghdad. The goal is to have at least one
modern, fully equipped, and staffed Women’s Center in each of Iraq’s 18 Governorates,
and additional ones where need is greatest.
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
CPA will distribute 500,000 pamphlets on the Transitional Administrative Law
throughout the country in order to educate the Iraqi people. Coalition regional channels,
the Iraq Reconstruction and Development Council, civil society organizations, ministries,
and the local press will participate in the distribution.

CPA supported the establishment of the Iraq Foundation for Development and
Democracy (IFDD), a think tank fostering political dialogue in Iraq through the
sponsorship of meetings to discuss the transition to democracy.

Iraqi non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) that participated in this month’s World
Movement for Democracy Conference in South Africa, established the Iraqi Civic
Society Empowerment Network (ICEN). ICEN will work to build a network of NGOs
that will promote civil society and democratic values in Iraq.

More than 650 women, mostly conservative shi’ites, attended the 1000 Women’s
Conference at Baghdad University on February 12. Resolutions from the conference
include 1) that women participate in the drafting of the constitution; 2) that women have
a minimum representation of 20 percent in the different ministries; and 3) that a Ministry
for Women be created. Once drafted, these resolutions will go formally to the IGC.

Parween Shawqat Kawther, a school teacher and member of the Salah Ad Din Provincial
Council, is the first Iraqi to arrive in the U.S. as a participant in the U. S. State
Department’s International Visitor Program. Parween will join others from the Near East
and North Africa in a program for teaching English as a second language that will
explore pedagogical methods, curricula, assessment techniques, and educational resource
management.

CPA attended the opening of the new home of the Free Women Association (FWA) in Al
Muthanna. FWA is one of the first official Iraqi women’s organizations to be recognized
after the collapse of the Ba’ath regime.
III.
Develop Framework and Capacity for Elections
Support creation of National Independent Electoral Commission; Promote Scopes of work and
Operational Linkages between national, regional, and local level election administration
authorities

Technical and resource planning continues for the implementation of caucuses or other
means, such as direct elections, to establish a Transitional National Assembly (TNA) by
July 1. CPA and the Coalition Joint Task Force (CJTF-7) discussed contingency
timelines to ensure appropriate allocation of logistical capacities, human resources and
security.
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IV.
Support Development of Sustainable Political Parties / Associations
Support Development of Political Associations

The International Republican Institute (IRI) is producing a database of political parties in
Iraq. It will include party characteristics, such as regions in which the parties operate,
existence of women in leadership positions, and estimated membership. IRI and the
National Democratic Institute (NDI) will use the database to initiate political party
training and other work with the parties.
V.
Promote Respect for Human Rights
Educate on Human Rights Issues; Preserve documentation of past atrocities, raise awareness,
and promote reconciliation; Strengthen local capacity to investigate and address past atrocities;
Iraqi Special Tribunal (IST) for past atrocities and Iraq Property Claims Commission for
property disputes; Human Rights Incorporated into Laws; Develop Role of Independent Human
Rights NGOs and Media; Establish a Human Rights Ministry

CPA sponsored the production of the documentary film “Mass Graves”, which
underscores the enormity of the crimes committed against the Iraqi people for the past
two decades. The film also emphasizes the effect that atrocities by Saddam’s regime had
on every individual living in Iraq – whether they were Arab, Kurdish, Turkmen, or
Christian. The release date for “Mass Graves”, which will be aired on the al Iraqiyah
television network, is yet to be determined.

Work continues on the Secure Evidence Storage Facility for documentation storage and
analysis of past atrocities. A second building is needed to serve as the investigations
base. A stakeholder meeting is scheduled for February 15, to develop recommendations
for future work on documentation.

The Ministry of Human Rights officially opens its new building on February 14 before an
invited audience.

CPA monitored the exhumation work carried out by a Kuwaiti team on grave sites near
Karbala. This work is part of the Tripartite Agreement
VI.
Promote Durable Solutions for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
Facilitate the Return of Refugees and IDPs; Build Local and National Capacity to Protect and
assist Refugees and IDPs; Develop and Implement a Process to Resolve Property Disputes

The Iraq Property Claims Commission (IPCC) is scheduled to start opening offices and
accepting claims by the end of this month. The Baghdad offices are scheduled to open
February 23, followed by offices in Erbil, Sulamaniyah, Kirkuk and Mosul. A State
Department legal expert is assisting the IGC legal committee in drafting IPCC guidelines
that will clarify aspects of the law.
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