Foreign Ministers of 12 Western countries released a joint statement on Iraq’s early elections, describing the process as an “opportunity” for Iraqis to determine their future in “free and fair elections.”
“The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, and the US Secretary of State welcome the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission’s (IHEC) preparations for the October 10 election,” the joint statement read.
It described the elections as "an opportunity for Iraqi voters to democratically determine their future.”
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs said they recognize “the importance of this moment in Iraqi history. In response to requests from the Iraqi people, substantial resources have been mobilized in support of free and fair elections.”
According to the statement, “In May 2020, the UN Security Council enhanced the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq’s (UNAMI) electoral assistance mandate.
"The resulting UNAMI electoral assistance mission, tasked with supporting IHEC, is the largest of its kind in the world, with five times more UN officials than were present during the 2018 election.”
“In late 2020, Iraqis coalesced around the idea that international monitoring was a prerequisite for electoral legitimacy,” it added, indicating that the Iraqi government submitted a request to the UN Security Council.
"On May 27, 2021, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2576, authorizing a UNAMI election monitoring team. On June 21, 2021, the EU announced a separate election observation mission, which now comprises a significant number of experts from EU member states. Both missions have already deployed monitors and observers, respectively."
According to the statement, these missions represent a good-faith international effort to fulfill Iraqis’ request and bolster the integrity of the election.
They further stressed that “the Iraqi people now have an opportunity to exercise their fundamental right to vote.”
The foreign ministers affirmed support to “the Iraqi government’s efforts to ensure a safe, free, fair, and inclusive electoral environment for all Iraqis, including women and youth, who have long faced violence and intimidation in the pursuit of reform.”
“Likewise, we support the Iraqi government’s efforts to ensure that internally displaced persons can safely participate in the election. We call on all parties to respect the rule of law and the integrity of the electoral process,” it concluded.
