LONDON: The US and 11 other countries welcomed on Wednesday the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission’s preparations for the parliamentary election in Iraq.
The countries said the early election on Sunday is an opportunity for all Iraqis to democratically determine their future.
The joint statement came from the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and the US.
“We recognize the importance of this moment in Iraqi history,” the statement said. “In response to requests from the Iraqi people, substantial resources have been mobilized in support of free and fair elections.”
The UN Assistance Mission (UNAMI) for Iraq is supporting supporting the IHEC. With five times more UN officials than were present during the 2018 election, the UN says it is the largest mission of its kind in the world.
The EU has a separate election observation mission.
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The foreign ministers’ statement said both these missions have already deployed monitors and observers.
“These missions represent a good-faith international effort to fulfill Iraqis’ request and bolster the integrity of the election,” they said.
“The Iraqi people now have an opportunity to exercise their fundamental right to vote. We support the Iraqi government’s efforts to ensure a safe, free, fair, and inclusive electoral environment for all Iraqis, including women and youth, who have long faced violence and intimidation in the pursuit of reform,” the foreign ministers said.
They added that they support the Iraqi government’s efforts to ensure that internally displaced persons can safely participate in the election.
“We call on all parties to respect the rule of law and the integrity of the electoral process,” they said.
