Kurdistan Region, UN envoy stress need for ‘inclusive’ post-election government in Iraq

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Four days after Iraqis voted in national parliamentary elections, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the head of the United Nations' mission in the embattled nation said on Thursday that it was important that the new Iraqi government should be an “inclusive” one that represents all citizens.

In their first meeting since Sunday's election, Barzani and UN envoy to Iraq Jennine Hennis-Plasschaert convened in Erbil to discuss polling and the various international monitoring missions that acted as observers, a role the prime minister said, “was highly appreciated,” according to a press release from his office.

The two both agreed that “the next government should be inclusive and will serve every community and party of the country equally,” if continued.

Just over 9 million people out of more than 25 million eligible voters headed to the polls to elect the nation's fifth national parliament since the ouster of Saddam Hussien in 2003.

Hennis-Plasschaert was quoted the previous day in another KRG statement as saying, "The United Nations Mission in Iraq is a supporter and enhancer of the procedures of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) and confirms the continuation of international support for its work in order for the results to come out in a sincere manner that expresses the will of the Iraqi voters."

Following its monitoring of the early Iraqi parliamentary elections, the European Election Observation Mission (EUOM) published an early version of its report containing its general assessment of the process.

Read More: Iraqi Election 2021: EU election observation mission releases its 'preliminary' results

IHEC also announced on Tuesday that the final results of Sunday's national parliamentary elections will be announced in full after various motions brought to appeal initial tallies are fully resolved.

Read More: Iraq’s electoral commission: Final results will be announced after appeals are resolve