MOFA: We look forward to seeing a UN election monitoring team

Baghdad - INA

Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein affirmed the government's aspiration to see an international team to monitor the elections in all Iraqi governorates.

A statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), stated that "Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein met at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the head of the electoral support team in the Department of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding at the United Nations Secretariat, Craig Gaines, and the accompanying security team, During the meeting, they discussed the necessary preparations for holding the elections on the specified date.
The minister stressed that "the government is continuing to hold the elections, which is one of the most important goals of the government curriculum," extending his thanks to the electoral support team for the great efforts made by them during the negotiations related to Iraq's request for electoral observation.

He pointed out that "the Iraqi government's diplomatic steps are on more than one axis, whether in New York or towards the capitals of the member states of the Security Council," expressing "his happiness that Iraq has obtained a unanimous supportive position by the Security Council."

He pointed out that "the Iraqi government looks forward to seeing an international monitoring team in all Iraqi provinces to enhance public confidence in the electoral process," stressing "the Iraqi government's efforts and actions on regional organizations and towards a large number of countries at the bilateral level for the purpose of sending electoral observation teams." 
He added, "The Iraqi government is making great efforts to secure the elections," stressing "the government's readiness to provide all the requirements that fall upon it, and to provide a safe environment for fair elections that meet international standards."

He pointed out that "the security situation in Iraq is much better than it was several years ago, in light of the great efforts made by the security services to combat terrorism."

For his part, Craig Jenness Chairman of the support electoral team that electoral support team managed to secure the necessary funding for the practice of the United Nations Panel on monitoring the election in Iraq through grants provided by some countries , including the United States, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Denmark. "

As He pointed out that "the United Nations will employ (150) UN experts to enhance the electoral support efforts provided to Iraq, and they will work as a preparatory team for the monitoring process, and they will be distributed to four main centers in Iraq, and (100) UN experts will be sent in mid-September whose main task will be Election Monitoring.