March elections offer Iraq chance to move beyond conflict to development, Ban says

Next month’s elections offer Iraqis the chance to move beyond the bloody conflict of the past seven years towards long-term political and economic stability, but armed groups may repeat their recent high-profile attacks to disrupt the process, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warns in his latest report on the country.

“I appeal to the people of Iraq not to be deterred, in the face of these and other criminal acts, from exercising their democratic rights,” he says, citing among other attacks the coordinated series of suicide bombings in Baghdad in December in which scores of civilians were killed and injured immediately after the successful adoption of the electoral law.

“I also urge the Government of Iraq and its security forces to redouble efforts in the lead-up to the elections to ensure that the elections are as peaceful as possible,” he adds, stressing that every effort must be made to ensure that the poll is broadly participatory and as inclusive as possible.

“A credible election process will greatly contribute to national reconciliation and give Iraqi leaders a new impetus to work together in a spirit of national unity to rebuild their country after years of conflict. It will also serve to strengthen Iraq’s sovereignty and independence at this key juncture in Iraq’s history as the United States prepares to draw down its military presence.”

Mr. Ban pledges the full support of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), which has already helped in three previous polls, for the success of the 7 March elections in providing strong technical assistance to the Independent High Electoral Commission and helping to ensure that the results are widely accepted by the Iraqi people.

Referring to the controversy over the possible disqualification of hundreds of candidates considered to have been closely linked to the Baath party of ousted, and later hanged, President Saddam Hussein, he calls for a transparent and non-discriminatory review, and appeals to all sided to use the mechanisms in place to submit complaints and abide by the final results once they are certified by the Federal Supreme Court.

“I also hope that, once the new government is formed, the focus will shift gradually to accelerating the country’s reconstruction and development,” he writes, calling on those newly elected to resolve political and constitutional matters that could hinder Iraq’s long-term political and economic stability, by adopting a viable revenue-sharing arrangement, a hydrocarbon law and settling the issue of disputed territories between the regions.

“In this regard, the Iraqi people will expect to see greater efficiency, accountability and transparency on the part of their elected officials. If ordinary Iraqis witness an improvement in their daily lives, they will begin to feel that their votes made a difference,” he says, highlighting the support of the entire UN system for a steady shift of focus from humanitarian response to longer-term development.

He notes that 18.9 million voters have been allocated to some 50,000 polling stations in an election which will see 6,600 candidates nominated from 86 political entities or coalitions. The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has funded an initiative to train over 29,000 domestic observers to monitor the polls.

UNAMI has helped develop key procedures for a range of polling and counting processes, including those for regular polling and counting in polling stations on election day, absentee voting for internally displaced persons (IDPs) registered to vote for their governorate of origin, and special voting using either the voter list or a conditional ballot for several categories of voters unable to cast ballots in regular polling stations on election day.

UNAMI electoral advisers have also trained Electoral Commission staff on best practices, and this staff will now train 360 governorate trainers over a two-week period. This will be followed by a cascade training programme that will ultimately ensure that approximately 300,000 polling station staff are able to conduct polling and counting processes.

“UNAMI is supporting the Electoral Commission in developing a robust and timely complaints mechanism to ensure that the credibility of the results is not eroded by a delay in the adjudication of complaints,” Mr. Ban adds.

Reviewing the past three months since his last report, Mr. Ban cites continuing ethnic political disagreements in the Ninewa Governorate between Kurds, Arabs and others as “a matter of concern,” while noting the agreement of the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government set up joint security structures in Kirkuk, Ninewa and Diyala to ease tensions.

He calls on both governments to protect the rights of minorities and end forced displacement of minorities. “During the past year, hundreds of civilians have reportedly been killed in attacks that have targeted the Christian, Shabak, Turkmen and Yazidi communities,” he writes.

Among humanitarian priorities for the coming year, he includes the impact of drought, mine action, protection for IDPs, refugees and returnees, and supporting critical social safety nets.

“The protection of civilians, particularly women, children and minority groups, remains a serious concern, as do the ongoing constraints due to lack of access and security that continue to hinder the ability of humanitarian organizations to effectively assess and respond to unmet needs,” he says. “I again thank the donor community for its support in addressing humanitarian issues throughout this period and encourage continued engagement.”