The women of Najaf Governorate listen to a lecture on the participation and role of women towards peaceful and non-violent elections in Iraq.

Charles Lasham doesn’t like to be called an expert, despite three decades of experience in managing elections. He sees himself simply as a coach, who exposes others to new ideas so they can make informed decisions. Lasham stresses that the vast majority of election administrators he worked with in more than 25 countries are highly educated, with an understanding of democratic issues and what works within their culture.

His latest posting in Iraq brings with it new challenges, both in ensuring his own security and in building an election body that can eventually operate without international support. The IFES project focuses on preparing Iraq’s permanent election commission to administer the upcoming provincial council elections. Lasham said the new election commission is diligently working toward updating Iraq’s electoral laws and voter registry.

“IFES is working with one of the success stories in terms of Iraq and the law,” he said.

Lasham has led IFES projects in Nigeria, Moldova and Azerbaijan. Previously, Lasham served as a Regional Returning Officer in the United Kingdom, where he co-authored the UK Electoral Administrator’s Manual and co-founded the United Kingdom Association of Electoral Administrators.

IFES began using the association’s members in the early 1990s to observe elections in countries such as Russia, Romania, El Salvador and Guatemala. Lasham still remembers walking the streets of Sofia, Bulgaria, and witnessing the determination of democracy protesters camped out in front of government ministries.

“To be part of something you knew was making a significant change in the democratic map of the world, just playing the very small part that I did, was fantastic!”