Turkish Initiatives Raise Hopes for Iraqi Elections
The Turkish government, which has been working with the international community to contribute to the reconstruction of Iraq, will dispatch observers for Iraq’s provincial elections on January 31. Turkey’s team is the second largest, only after the United States. BesidesTurkey and the U.S., some other countries and international organizations are also sending election observers to Iraq.
Provincial elections will be held in 14 out of 18 Iraqi provinces. These elections will provide a critical new opportunity to strengthen national reconciliation in Iraq, establish a culture of democracy there and ensure a fair representation at the local levels. Therefore, all Iraqi political groups as well as the international community attach great importance to the fair, democratic, transparent and secure conduct of the provincial elections.
Turkey’s participation as an election observer comes at the request of the Iraqi High Electoral Commission (IHEC), which called on several countries and international organizations to help ensure the secure, fair, democratic and transparent conduct of the provincial elections. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) has also made an appeal to the international community to this end.
A total of 30 Turkish observers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey and the Turkish universities and academic research institutions will serve as international observers underUNAMI umbrella in the Iraqi provincial elections.
With this initiative, Turkey hopes that the provincial elections in Iraq are conducted in a fair, democratic and transparent fashion and that they contribute to the strengthening of political reconciliation in that country.
Related Links:
Iraqi High Electoral Commission (IHEC)
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey