Plasschaert: Security Council grants UNAMI great support for Iraqi Elections Monitors

INA - BAGHDAD 

The head of the United Nations mission in Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, confirmed on Monday, that the mission of the UNAMI that she heads will be to monitor the elections, not to supervise them, while indicating that the approval of the results of the October elections is the responsibility of the Iraqis alone.

“The Security Council has given UNAMI great support to deploy observers for the Iraqi elections," Plasschaert said in the Muhaed TV Show, on Al-Iraqiya news channel that was followed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

She stressed that "the election observers of the United Nations will be deployed in all cities of Iraq,”

"There are 900 United Nations employees with the aim of providing electoral assistance,” she stated،noting that "the United Nations called on the Electoral Commission to adopt transparency by clarifying the difference between those entitled to vote and those who received electoral cards,”

Plasschaert highlighted saying,”We focus our efforts to ensure that the Iraqi elections has the highest level of integrity and safety. It is not the responsibility of the United Nations to ratify the election results because it is the responsibility of the Iraqis represented by the Commission and the Federal Court,”

“The United Nations pays special attention to Kirkuk and will send delegates to monitor the elections. Our mission is to monitor the elections and provide advice, not to supervise them,” she explained .

She included, “We hope to form a government that is able to work effectively and quickly after the next October elections. The outcome of the elections must be calculated on the basis of the legitimacy of the electoral process,”

“The United Nations will not support any party or any candidate in the elections,” Plasschaert stated.