Kurdistan Region PM welcomes UNSC statement on Iraq elections
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Friday welcomed a United Nations Security Council statement on the early Iraqi elections held on Oct. 10.
The premier also said that the technical assistance by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and international teams from the EU and others were “central” to the election process.
I welcome today’s UNSC statement on the Iraqi elections. @UNIraq’s technical assistance, and intl teams from the EU and others were central to the process.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrour_barzani) October 22, 2021
I urge all the parties to quickly form an inclusive govt capable to build a better future for the Iraqi peoples- mb.
“I urge all the parties to quickly form an inclusive govt (government) capable to build a better future for the Iraqi peoples,” he affirmed.
The members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) congratulated the Iraqi people and the Government of Iraq in a statement on Friday.
“The members of the Security Council welcomed interim reports that the elections proceeded smoothly and featured significant technical and procedural improvements from previous Iraqi elections,” the statement said.
The UNSC members commended the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) for “conducting a technically sound election.”
Moreover, the UNSC praised the Iraqi government for its election preparations and preventing violence on election day.
The UNSC also thanked UNAMI for providing IHEC with technical assistance and an international election monitoring team to the Iraqi government.
“The members of the Security Council deplored the recent threats of violence against UNAMI, IHEC personnel, and others,” the UNSC statement added.
Pro-Iran parties, such as the Fatah Alliance that performed poorly in the October 10 elections, have protested the election results. As a result, there is a fear of violence, if these groups continue to reject the results.
Dr. Hamdi Malik is an Associate Fellow with the Washington Institute, wrote in an analysis piece that Iran-backed groups have blamed UNAMI and its head, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and the United Arab Emirates for their failure.
“Once it became clear that the main muqawama (Iran-backed groups) lists were among the biggest losers, various groups accused UNAMI of conspiring to ensure this outcome and issued threats against the organization and Hennis-Plasschaert in particular,” he wrote.
UN Security Council members, therefore, reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s call for all stakeholders to show patience and respect for the electoral timeline.
“The members of the Security Council stressed that any electoral disputes that may arise should be resolved peacefully through established legal channels.”
“Once the results are ratified, the members of the Security Council look forward to the peaceful formation of an inclusive government that reflects the will of the Iraqi people and their call for a stronger democracy.