UNAMI FOCUS Voice of the Mission
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United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) UNAMI FOCUS Voice of the Mission Fortnightly Bulletin on UNAMI Activities First Issue Mid February 2006 UN Welcomes Announcement of Certified Results of Iraqi Elections UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan welcomed the announcement by the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) of the the final certified results of elections. Mr. Annan paid tribute to the “courageous commitment of the Iraqi people to the democratic process,” citing the participation of millions of voters of all communities as well as hundreds of thousands of observers, agents and poll workers. The statement also congratulated the IECI for successfully conducting the election “under very challenging SRSG Ashraf Qazi with PM Ibrahim Jaafari, President Masoud Barzani and Adnan Pachachi. circumstances,” and confirmed continuous support of the UN to Iraq external meeting with Iraqi and MNF-I SRSG Ashraf Jehangir Qazi also Officials. Mr. Veness and his team visited INDEX: hailed the announcement by describing it UNAMI to discuss issues pertaining to the as “an important milestone in the transition security of the mission. - UN welcomes certified results of elections 1 to a fully sovereign and democratically - SRSG Activities 1 elected assembly and government.” Mr. Qazi continued his meetings - Feature on certified results of elections 1 with Iraqi politicians in the wake of the Mr. Qazi reminded that there are announcement of certified results of the 15 - Political Developments 2 many challenges ahead, especially the December elections, which he attended - Electoral Update 2 human rights situation which has become a together with the IECI Bord of -Relief, Reconstruct Activities 3 matter of very serious concern. He Commissioners. In addition, he met encouraged political leaders to quickly Barham Saleh, Hossein Shahristani, Hareth - Human Rights News 3 form a government that will discharge its al-Dhari of the Association of Muslim - Constitutional Support Newsflash 4 responsibilities towards making Iraq a Scholars, and the Governor of Al-Anabr safe, peaceful and prosperous place for all Province. In the diplomatic corps, the - Brief from PIO 4 its people, regardless of their ethnic, SRSG met with US Ambassador Khalilzad Fijian Guards Contingent Activities 4 religious, linguistic or other sectarian - and Australian Ambassador Howard affiliations. Brown. ***** Mr. Qazi met earlier with Feature: Certified Results of Massoud Barazani, President of the Iraqi Elections, a Mark of Political SRSG Activities Kurdish Region (IKR), who was in Transition End Baghdad for consultations with other On 10 Feb 06, the Independent SRSG Ashraf Qazi visited political and community leaders. He also Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) Moscow at the invitation of the Russian held a dinner in Mr. Barzani’s honour, announced the final certified results for Foreign Ministry from 14 to 16 Feb. He attended by Iraqi political leaders and the 15 December Parliamentary met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Ambassadors of the P5. He also attended elections. Lavrov and briefed him on the latest lunches in honour of political leaders held political developments in Iraq. by Prime Minister Al-Ja'afari and Vice- This was the third major President Mehdi. He also met with electoral event in the transitional period, Mr. Qazi also updated the General Williams, the outgoing but the first inclusive elections in which Foreign Minister on UNAMI’s functions in Commander of MNF-I forces in Al-Anbar all the communities, including Arab Iraq during 2005 and its operations to discuss the UN's engagement in this Sunnis, participated. The new Iraqi expected in 2006. On his part, the Russian important governorate. The SRSG briefed legislative body will be made up of 275 Foreign Minister expressed appreciation Martin Aeshbacker, the Swiss representatives from 12 political entities for the United Nations role in Iraq and representative stationed in Baghdad on the and coalitions covering a broad promised continued Russian support for work of the UN in Iraq. The SRSG also political, ethnic and religious spectrum. United Nations. visited the Mufti of the Center of Iftaa of More than 25% of the seats will be Last week, Mr. Qazi the Gilani Mosque Sheikh Jamal Abd al- occupied by women. accompanied the visiting USG for Safety Karim al-Daban1. and Security David Veness in various The adoption through the Political Developments October referendum of the new constitution, the seating of the new parliament, and the formation of the government will mark the end of the political transition period. The Winners of 15 Dec The announcement of the Elections certified results followed the final adjudication of electoral appeals by the The formal certification of election Bloc # of Seats United Iraqi Alliance 128 Transitional Electoral Panel, a judicial results on Friday 10 February marked the body appointed by the High Judicial beginning of the 15 day period within which Kurdish Gathering 53 Council. For the first time in the the sitting of the newly elected Council of Tuwafoq Iraqi Front 44 transitional elec toral process twelve Representatives has to take place under the Iraqi National List 25 entities filed appeals including the four new constitution. At its first sitting, the Hewar National Iraqi Front 11 leading coalitions. The panel ruled in parliament has to choose its leadership - the Islamic Union of Kurdistan 5 favor of the IECI in all twelve appeals, speaker and the two deputy speakers. On Liberation & Reconciliation Gathering 3 Al Rafedeen List 1 including appeal s against the results, Saturday, 11 February, the United Iraq appeals against the IECI’s individual Alliance (UIA) in a secret ballot elected in a Iraqi Turkoman Front 1 decisions on complaints and against the close contest the incumbent Prime Minister Mithal Al Aloosi List for Iraqi Nation 1 seat allocation formula adopted by the Ibrahim Jaafari as the PM-designate to lead it Liberation & Reconciliation Gathering 1 IECI. in parliament. The UIA is the entity with the largest plurality in the new parliament. Mr Three hundred and seven Jaafari, from the Dawa Party, was opposed political entities and 19 coalitions and by Abdil Adel Mahdi of the Supreme Council over 7,500 candidates contested the of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. elections - numbers that far outweigh the January election for the Transitional Following the election of the National Assembly. The IECI certified speakership, the presidency council will have 996 candidate lists representing all Iraqi to be elected. There is some disagreement UN Electoral Assistance communities and political affiliations, among different parties on whether the time Update table for government formation is regulated including Arab Sunnis who boycotted The IECI issued the final certified the January 2005 election. by the Transitional Administrative Law under results of the 15 December 2005 Council of which the formation of the government was Representative Elections on 10 February. Over 12 million eligible voters to have taken place by 31 December 2005, or This followed the Transitional Electoral cast their vote in over 34,000 polling the new constitution which has not yet come Panel (TEP) decisions on 08 February stations. In the predominantly Sunni into force, as one of three conditions required dismissing the remaining appeals. The Board province of Anbar alone, voter for its provisions to become operational have announced the numbers of seats won per participation rate was over 85%. yet to be met. Meanwhile, discussion among entity, which has not changed since the and within the principal alliances continue on uncertified results announced on 20 January Twelve political entities and principles, procedures, personalities and 06 and the names of all 275 successful coalitions repr esenting all Iraqi programs to form a government of national candidates. The forty-five winners of national communities and political spectrums unity, which appears to be a preferred option and compensatory seats were announced on won seats in the Council of at this point. 10 February 06 for the first time. The 230 Representatives. The United Iraqi governorate-based winners were announced Alliance will remain the largest political IKR President Barzani visited Baghdad in with the uncertified results. In total, 70 of the bloc in the parliament with 128 seats. early February for government formation 275 seats will be held by women, one more The Kurdish Gathering will maintain a talks. Consultations among the Iraqi than the minimum Constitutional target of strong representation in the Council of politicians on government formation have 25%. The final certification marks the formal Representative with 53 seats. The been underway since, and the SRSG’s dinner end of the IECI's oversight of the Council of Tuwafoq Iraqi Front emerged as the for Iraqi politicians can be seen as part of Representatives (CoR) elections. As per the front-runner Sunni list with 44 seats. UNAMI’s efforts to facilitate the political law, the IECI will transmit names of elected The Iraqi National List won 25 seats, process. candidates to the President so that he may and the Hewar National Iraqi Front convene the Council.. gained 11. The Islamic Union of The Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) Kurdistan secur ed 5 seats, and the threatened to start a civil disobedience The Iraq Election Assistance Team Liberation and Reconciliation Gathering campaign if the current Minister of Interior (IEAT) members engaged all divisions of the won 3 seats. Finally, each of the Al (from SCIRI) stays on his post and demanded IECI in a series of mini workshops regarding Rafedeen List, the Iraqi Turkoman restructuring of the whole Ministry. capacity building. The objective of these Front, the Mithal Al Aloosi List for exercises is to identify shortfalls and areas for Iraqi Nation, and the Liberation and The ‘Danish caricatures’ development in all corners of the IECI. All Reconciliation Gathering won one seat. reportedly depicting prophet Mohammed divisions (finance, logistics, public outreach, received significant attention within Iraq.