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Iraq: UN envoy makes plea for fair
elections
12.12.2005
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Baghdad, 12 Dec.
(AKI) - The United Nations Envoy to Iraq has made a
plea for Thursday's parliamentary elections to be
fair and free from coercion, during meetings with
the representatives of various political parties.
Ashraf Qazi's appeal followed a UN report which said
that the increasingly sectarian nature of violence
in Iraq, the continued lack of security, and ongoing
human rights violations pose key challenges as the
country prepares to vote, and underscore the need
for the different communities to reach out to each
other.
In meetings with officials from the Iraqi Islamic
Party, the Iraqi Nationalist List and the Gathering
for Loyalty for Iraq, Qazi listened to their
concerns about the upcoming elections.
Accompanied by the senior UN election official in
Iraq, Craig Jenness, Qazi emphasised the importance
of holding inclusive, participatory, transparent and
fair elections, free from harassment and
intimidation, according to the UN Assistance Mission
in Iraq (UNAMI).
The delegates shared their ideas for conducting the
15 December elections in a positive atmosphere, and
pledged to deal with any complaints through legal
mechanisms, UNAMI said.
Presenting the UN report on Iraq, secretary-general
Kofi Annan said: "The fact that the political
process has remained on target against an ambitious
timetable is a considerable achievement in itself
given the difficult conditions in which it has taken
place."
But he went on to add: "Despite these benchmarks,
however, Iraq today remains beset with formidable
security, political and economic challenges. The
forthcoming election and formation of a new
permanent government will not mark the end of the
country’s political transition, but rather the
beginning of a new phase in which responsible
politics and leadership will make the difference
between success and failure."
The most positive development over the past quarter
has been the determination of the Sunni Arabs, who
largely stayed away from last January’s elections to
a transitional assembly, to "make their voice heard
through engagement in the political process," the
report said. In it, Annan praised the Arab League
for organising a preparatory meeting for an Iraqi
national accord conference scheduled for February.
www.adnki.com
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