Western governments consider the Iraqi elections a historic opportunity

by **RamblerNash** Wed Oct 06, 2021 8:44 pm

Wednesday 06 October 2021 20:50

Baghdad / NINA / - The governments of 12 Western countries welcomed the Iraqi government's preparations to hold early parliamentary elections.

And it stated in a joint statement, published by the US State Department, that: The foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden, and the Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom and the US Secretary of State, welcome the preparations of the Independent High Electoral Commission in Iraq to hold the elections on October 10.

She added, "These early elections are an opportunity for Iraqi voters to democratically decide their future."

She explained: In May 2020, the UN Security Council reinforced the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq in the elections, indicating that: The United Nations has five times as many officials who were present during the 2018 elections.

She pointed out that: In late 2020, Iraqis coalesced around the idea that international monitoring would be a prerequisite for the legitimacy of the elections, and accordingly, the Government of Iraq submitted a request to the UN Security Council, which on May 27, 2021, unanimously adopted Resolution 2576, which authorized the election monitoring team of to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq.

She stressed that: the Iraqi people now have the opportunity to exercise their basic right to vote, stressing its support for 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 their quest for reform.

It renewed its support for the Iraqi government's efforts to ensure the safe participation of internally displaced persons in the elections, calling on all parties to respect the rule of law and the integrity of the electoral process./End 3

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