2018-06-12
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SULAIMANI — UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq Jan Kubis has called for an investigation into complaints of electoral fraud and violations.
Kubis also called on the political actors to uphold peace and to remain committed to resolving electoral disputes through legal channels.
The UN envoy called "upon Iraq’s election management bodies expeditiously to investigate and adjudicate all complaints of electoral fraud and violations, in a fully transparent way that promotes the integrity of the electoral process and the legitimacy of its results, in line with the laws and Constitution of Iraq,” a statement released by UNAMI early on Monday (June 11) read.
Kubis called on the Iraqi leaders and entities to “work together in support of the steps to address the complaints concerning the electoral process.”
He also urged the Iraqi government, security forces and electoral management bodies to take “all appropriate steps to secure electoral materials,” after a fire broke out at one of the electoral commission’s warehouse in Baghdad’s area of al-Rusafa on Sunday (June 10).
Kubis expressed UNAMI readiness and availability to extend further technical advice and assistance to the electoral bodies as it is requested.
A fire broke out on Sunday at one of the warehouses where ballots from Iraq’s national elections were being stored ahead of a full manual recount.
It was the latest setback for a process that had already been mired in accusations of fraud and other violations.
One day after the fire breakout, the Rusafa court issued an arrest warrant for three members of police and a member of Independent High Electoral Commission on charges of the ballot box storage fire.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called the fire a part of a plot to sabotage the country's democratic process.
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri also called for a rerun of the parliamentary election held on May 12, just a few hours after the fire broke out.
(NRT)