IRAQ ELECTIONS OCV: VOTE COUNTING IN JORDAN;

UNCLAS AMMAN 009705

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PGOV IZ JO
SUBJECT: IRAQ ELECTIONS OCV: VOTE COUNTING IN JORDAN;
WORLDWIDE TURNOUT BREAKDOWN

Ref: A) AMMAN 9700
B) AMMAN 9668
C) AMMAN 9630
D) AMMAN 9513

OCV VOTE COUNT PROCEEDS SMOOTHLY
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1. (SBU) OCV vote-counting in Jordan began separately at
each of the thirteen individual voting sites on Friday,
December 16 at 8:00AM. Vote counting at the five sites
visited by EMBASSY observers proceeded smoothly,
professionally, and without incident. A large number of
political party observers, as well as International Mission
for Iraqi Elections (IMIE) and other NGO observers, were
noted at each site.


2. (SBU) Several party observers had notebooks and were
carefully noting each vote as the ballots were read out.
Both IMIE and Allawi's campaign headquarters in Jordan told
Emboff that they had personnel stationed throughout the day
at each polling station in Jordan and reported no
significant problems.

PRELIMINARY OCV TURNOUT BREAKDOWN
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3. (SBU) Amman-based Independent Election Commission of
Iraq (IECI) OCV chief Hamdia al-Husseini gave Emboff at
4:00PM a preliminary and approximate country-by-country
breakdown of Iraq OCV voter turnout worldwide. Preliminary
breakout follows:

Australia - 12,000; Austria - 1,500; Canada - 9,000;

Denmark - 13,500; Germany - 27,500; Iran - 59,000;

Jordan - 31,000; Lebanon - 3,500; Netherlands - 14,500;

Sweden - 31,000; Syria - 24,000; Turkey - 16,000;

U.A.E. - 17,500; U.K. - 31,000; U.S.A. - 28,000.

OCV Preliminary Worldwide Total: 318,500


NO DECISION ON PUBLISHING OCV VOTE RESULTS
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4. (SBU) IECI's Husseini told Emboff that plans for further
handling of OCV ballots and voting results are still being
studied. She asserted that no decision has been made to
publish country-by-country OCV voting results as opposed to
turnout. Emboff noted that OCV voting results were
available after the January, 2005 elections. Husseini said
she will seek guidance on the issue from IECI headquarters
in Baghdad.

Rubinstein