Baghdad-Wednesday, 21 October 2009: The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) expressed its concern today that the delay in passing the amendments to the 2005 Election Law could considerably disrupt the electoral calendar and preparations for the holding of parliamentary elections. The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG) Ad Melkert emphasized that the date of 16 January is crucial as it is still within the limits set by the Constitution. He urged all members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives (CoR) to bring together all efforts to make the needed progress and ensure that the democratic process leads to results.
SRSG Melkert said, “Time is critical and further delays in ratifying the amendment clarifications and the legal framework can adversely affect both the current electoral timeline, and ultimately the credibility of the electoral process. It is the collective responsibility of members of Parliament to now rise to the occasion and be ready to account to the Iraqi people who expect to exercise their right to express their preference in the upcoming elections.” He added that it is equally important that Iraqi parliamentarians recognize that the focus should remain on the national process and overcome any narrow considerations that could be the source of the current stalemate.
