Iraq: UN Envoy Commends Countrywide Participation In Inclusive Elections
The senior United Nations envoy in Iraq today commended the people of the war-torn country Iraq for their active
nationwide participation in yesterday’s elections and congratulated the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI)
for the conduct of the poll.
“Anecdotal evidence shows that there has been a good turnout, that it was inclusive and that security was well
maintained,” Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative Ashraf Qazi said, noting that the IECI maintained the
high international standards deemed essential for the conduct of fair, free and transparent election.
“These are all good measures of success,” he added in a statement.
Mr. Qazi acknowledged that a number of complaints have been registered with the IECI and that investigations have
started in a number of incidents. He said that while preliminary results may be available in the next few days, the
final results would not be issued until the IECI had completed its investigations.