Head of UN Iraq mission tells Security Council no evidence of election fraud
In her briefing to the UN Security Council, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert confirmed that there is no evidence for election fraud as claimed by some of the political parties that lost the parliamentary elections and warned of dire consequences if crucial reforms are not implemented.
The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, assured Security Council members and Iraqi voters Nov. 23 that parliamentary elections were conducted in a fair and free manner.
"The October elections were evaluated as being sound in general," Hennis-Plasschaert said in the briefing, indicating there is no evidence of widespread fraud.
However, she warned of dire consequences if the post-election political deadlock remains and essential reforms are not implemented by the upcoming government.
The political deadlock started when the defeated parties refused to accept the preliminary results of the elections. As a result, the defeated party leaders formed the Coordination Framework to jointly object to the election results.
