De Mistura says upcoming election important

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Iraq (SRSG) Staffan de Mistura on Tuesday described the upcoming provincial elections in Iraq as important, explaining that a number of countries intend to participate in the monitoring process. The statement was made during a joint press briefing addressing technical electoral matters on how to mark the ballot paper, and locate the correct polling station on election day, held by Chairman of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) Faraj Al Haydari, the IHEC’s Chief Electoral Officer Qasim Al-Aboudi and de Mistura. Chairman Al Haydari said, “On 31 January we will see an election that for the first time will have voters allocated to specific polling stations.” “Unlike in 2005 a voter’s name will appear only once on the voter list and in only one station in the entire country, marking a significant milestone for Iraq and help reduce the incidence of fraud,” he added. He emphasized the need for voters to be familiar with their designated voting centers on Election Day, doing so by visiting their local electoral offices, food ration centers or calling free of charge the IHEC call-center on 7777. Mr. Al-Aboudi explained that voters can also visit the IHEC website to locate their exact polling centers by entering their personal data. “Whole families will be listed together in the same polling station, but voters should make sure that they know where to vote in advance of Election Day as there will be no same day registration and voting as occurred in some parts of Iraq in 2005,” he said. SRSG De Mistura stressed that, “2009 will be a momentous and positive year for Iraq, as these elections will mark the first demonstration of a free people able to choose their leaders and their own future.” “For the first time voters will be able to choose not only a party but also a candidate from that party to represent them,” he added. He was pleased to note that election materials were already being received by the IHEC from China, the United Kingdom, India and Turkey, with ballot papers being printed by a specialist printer in the United Arab Emirates. The IHEC Chairman said, “There will be almost 42,000 polling stations open on election day providing easier access to the process than ever before and to make these elections a success, especially that all measures are being taken to ensure the safety and confidence of voters on elections day.” MH (I) / SS 1