May -17- 2018

According to details sent from the Independent High Electoral Commission in an official letter regarding threats to the two members of the Commission in addition to the office of Kirkuk, we would like to explain the following.
That the Commission did not mention in its official letters the type of threat to the members of the Board of Commissioners and who is the one that threatens while the security services did not receive any notice of a threat before being announced in the media.
We would like to point out that His Excellency Prime Minister Commander in chief of the Armed Forces; Dr. Haider Al-Abadi did immediately investigation in the threats. Therefore a contact with Mr.moutammed Al-mosawi and Mr. Saeed Hamid Amin Alkakai has been made to make sure about the kind of threat they have been exposed to.
They have denied the exposure of kind of threat, Mr.moutammed Al-mosawi told us that by a phone call made with him on 17/5/2018 that there is no threat, but there is a media campaign in one of the satellite channels, and he also did confirm that local security forces were providing him with adequate protection.
And Mr. Saeed Hamid Alkakai, we also contacted him, on 17/5/2018 and he also did stress the absence of any threat to him or his family.
We note that the electoral centers and UNHCR offices in the province of Kirkuk are adequately secured by the counterterrorism services. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces did give orders to send additional troops and the security situation in Kirkuk under control.
We do ask the Electoral Commission to be careful and should be cautious in publicizing of information in order not to cause confusion in the security situation, especially in this sensitive period.
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Media office of the prime minister
May -17- 2018