VP, UN envoy take up preparations for elections

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi and Special Representative to the United Nations Secretary General (SRSG) Staffan di Mistura on Wednesday discussed the current preparations for the upcoming provincial council elections. “The two officials discussed the role of the United Nations in this regard, including the provision of a sufficient number of observers to monitor the electoral process,” according to a presidential statement received by IraqiNews.com news agency. The provincial council elections are scheduled to take place on January 31 in all Iraqi provinces, with the exception of Kirkuk and the Kurdistan region. SS (P)/SR 1