United Nations Radio

<
February 2010
>
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28

Connect

Services

 16 February 2010
Print Sound bites Share

UN envoy says acceptance of poll results will be "litmus test for success or failure" of process in Iraq

16/02/2010

The top UN envoy in Iraq says that acceptance of the results of the March 7 election "will be the litmus test for the success or failure" of the democratic process in the country.

Ad Melkert

Ad Melkert

Ad Melkert, who brought the Security Council up to date on progress in Iraq on Tuesday, highlighted the support the UN mission in Iraq (UNAMI) is providing for the elections. UNAMI is funding the training of thousands of domestic election observers, and the European Union is funding internal observers.

Melkert says UNAMI has also been advising and providing technical support to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).

As a result there is infrastructure to allow an estimated 18.9 million Iraqi voters to participate in 48,000 polling stations on Election Day.

"UNAMI is supporting IHEC in developing a robust and timely complaints mechanism to ensure the credibility of the results is not eroded by a delay in adjudication of complaints. While it is expected that preliminary results will be published in the days following 7 March, final results could take considerable time with the Federal Supreme Court certifying the election results once all appeals have been resolved."

Ad Melkert says that much attention has been paid to the exclusion from the election of candidates who are members of the Baath Party.

Mr. Melkert notes that while the application of the so-called de-Baathification principle is an entirely Iraqi responsibility, there has been concern about the transparency of the process.

Diane Bailey, United Nations
(duration: 1'41")

Sound bites

Ad Melkert, top UN envoy in Iraq

"UNAMI is supporting IHEC in developing a robust and timely complaints mechanism to ensure the credibility of the results is not eroded by a delay in adjudication of complaints. While it is expected that preliminary results will be published in the days following 7 March, final results could take considerable time with the Federal Supreme Court certifying the election results once all appeals have been resolved."
Duration: 27 secs

Ad Melkert, top UN envoy in Iraq

"There has been much attention to the so-called de-Baathification of candidates for the elections. It should be noted that the principle to draw a line between a former dictatorial regime and a newly developing democratic order has been seen at other places. The application of the principle is entirely an Iraqi responsibility. What has made matters complex, however, from the angle of general international standards for preparing free and fair elections, is the lack of transparency that has marked the process from the outside. (outset?) UNAMI has consistently emphasized the due process requirements and abstained from judging the outcomes. Whilst reason for concern has remained in their impact the decision on the candidates list should be assessed in the context of the electoral process as a whole. What eventually will matter most if the acceptance by the Iraqi people of the election results."
Duration: 57 secs

Ad Melkert, top UN envoy in Iraq

"Election is not only about politics but requires a lot of hard work on the ground. The UN Electoral Team has continued to play a key role advising and technically support the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). As a result of a huge collective effort the infrastructure is in place in order to allow approximately 18.9 million Iraqi voters to visit 48,000 polling stations on Election Day. Preparations are also under way for out-of-country voting ongoing in sixteen countries that host large Iraqi communities in the Diaspora."
Duration: 42 secs

Ad Melkert, top UN envoy in Iraq

"Security is of vital consideration of these elections, both in relation to the integrity of the process and voter confidence. The government of Iraq and the Iraqi security forces have the lead in this important area. Furthermore, observation of the electoral process plays a pivotal role in ensuring credibility and oversight of the election. The UN is playing an active role in assisting civil society to assume this role through the funding of an initiative that has trained over 29,000 domestic observers. International observers are being coordinated through the good offices of the European Union in cooperation with IHEC. Although UNAMI will not observe the elections due to its role of supporting IHEC, our mission will undertake its own poll watching activities, sending teams to different locations in the country as a confidence-building initiative."
Duration: 1'00"

Ad Melkert, top UN envoy in Iraq

"For the near future, cementing long-term stability between the Federal state of Iraq and the Kurdish region is of paramount importance. Different signs of goodwill, including on joint security arrangements seem to signal potential for further progress. In the high level task force that has continued to meet under UNAMI auspices, progress has been made to address issues that stand on the way of normal life and business in disputed areas, including property matters. I recently traveled to Kirkuk to support the work of the Kirkuk Property Committee in their inaugural sitting. In my visit to local multi-ethnic communities I got a strong impression that daily issues are the same for all communities and much of the discussion on boundaries and competencies is considered 'higher politics' not necessarily connected with the practical concerns of living together of the average citizen. This should hopefully serve as a reminder and inspiration for the inevitable high political dialogue that is ahead of us."
Duration: 1'10"

Ad Melkert, top UN envoy in Iraq

"The UN family in Iraq has identified four key areas where the UN has specialized knowledge and demonstrated experience. One: post election activities including census and civil registration. Two: broader engagement in the disputed internal boundaries areas in the context of local area economic and social development. Three: reform of the public distribution system and the development of social safety nets, and four: water resources management and relevant issues of trans-border cooperation."
Duration: 40 secs