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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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