Press Releases and Media Advisories
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL MISSION FOR IRAQI ELECTIONS
(Click here for Arabic version
in PDF format)
(Click here for Kurdish version in PDF format)
OTTAWA, Monday, December 20, 2004 – Participants at the Iraq Election Monitoring Forum, held on December 19 and 20, with the support of the United Nations and the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq announced today, the establishment of an international mission for the Iraqi election cycle.
The International Mission for Iraqi Elections (IMIE) is comprised mainly of independent electoral management bodies. It will focus on the election process in Iraq as well as the out of Iraq registration and voting process. The IMIE will establish links with domestic monitoring organizations, political parties and others.
The IMIE will be based in the Middle East and Iraq. It will be led by a steering committee composed of members of independent elections commissions and electoral experts from around the world, including:
Elections Canada (Canada)
The United Kingdom Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)
Indonesian Electoral Commission (Indonesia)
Federal Electoral Institute (Mexico)
Electoral Tribunal of Panama (Panama)
Central Election Commission (Albania)
The Association of Central and Eastern European Election Officials (ACEEEO) will also be represented on the steering committee. The Chair of the Supreme Commission for the Elections and Referendums for the Republic of Yemen has agreed to participate in the steering committee subject to further consultation with the Commission.
The Steering Committee will develop a framework for a neutral and impartial
mission. The experience obtained with respect to the January 30 elections will
be used to implement a more extensive involvement for the October 2005 referendum
and the national
Elections Canada has agreed to establish a secretariat for this mission.
Elections Canada is an independent body set up by Parliament.
Information:
Elections Canada Media Relations
1 877 877-9515
or at www.elections.ca