Monday
Mar082010
Transparent Iraqi Elections? UN Says It's Possible
Monday, March 8, 2010 at 3:13PM
Some 40 people have been killed as a a result of the precarious Iraq elections held this week. At the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon repeatedly stated that UN electoral monitors have things under control and will be able to ensure transparency for a draft outcome due out this Thursday. This is the first parliamentary election held in over 5 years.
"The peaceful conduct of these elections is of paramount importance and should contribute to national reconciliation in Iraq. A strong voter mandate will be a powerful message in support of stability and prosperity for all Iraqis and will build on the political progress that has already been achieved," he said in a statement issued on the eve of the elections on March 7.
Several rockets, grenades and bombs went off in Baghdad on election day and the death toll throughout the country is steadily rising. The Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, condemned the attackers. And Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr urged Iraqis to stay away from violent attacks and to use their voting rights: “Even if a choice in the shadow of an occupation is not legitimate, I urge Iraqis to participate in order to prepare the ground for a termination of the occupation,” he said.
Some 19 million Iraqis were eligible to cast their vote for a new parliament from a choice of 6,200 candidates from many political parties. There are 325 seats open. Over 2000 candidates are women.
The Iraqi government hopes to have a newly elected national assembly to move ahead with what UN Representative to Iraq, Ad Melkert, told reporters this afternoon via videoconference a "satisfying" election outcome. Melkert said some 60 percent of eligible voters have submitted their ballots.
"Of course, there are still certain issues and they are systematic in nature. But the voter education that took place took place on a relatively massive scale. We have called on all candidates and parties to unite in accepting results and to set the example for a cultural democracy. We call on those newly elected to move towards forming a majority coalition."
The Iraqi electoral information network has over 18,000 observers all over the country to monitor polling stations. Working in partnership with the United Nations, the network claimed this week that some observers were denied access to polls by security forces.
"The peaceful conduct of these elections is of paramount importance and should contribute to national reconciliation in Iraq. A strong voter mandate will be a powerful message in support of stability and prosperity for all Iraqis and will build on the political progress that has already been achieved," he said in a statement issued on the eve of the elections on March 7.
Several rockets, grenades and bombs went off in Baghdad on election day and the death toll throughout the country is steadily rising. The Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, condemned the attackers. And Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr urged Iraqis to stay away from violent attacks and to use their voting rights: “Even if a choice in the shadow of an occupation is not legitimate, I urge Iraqis to participate in order to prepare the ground for a termination of the occupation,” he said.
Some 19 million Iraqis were eligible to cast their vote for a new parliament from a choice of 6,200 candidates from many political parties. There are 325 seats open. Over 2000 candidates are women.
The Iraqi government hopes to have a newly elected national assembly to move ahead with what UN Representative to Iraq, Ad Melkert, told reporters this afternoon via videoconference a "satisfying" election outcome. Melkert said some 60 percent of eligible voters have submitted their ballots.
"Of course, there are still certain issues and they are systematic in nature. But the voter education that took place took place on a relatively massive scale. We have called on all candidates and parties to unite in accepting results and to set the example for a cultural democracy. We call on those newly elected to move towards forming a majority coalition."
The Iraqi electoral information network has over 18,000 observers all over the country to monitor polling stations. Working in partnership with the United Nations, the network claimed this week that some observers were denied access to polls by security forces.
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