UNAMI SUPPORTS OCTOBER 28 DEADLINE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 004436

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/28/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PNAT KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: UNAMI SUPPORTS OCTOBER 28 DEADLINE

REF: BAGHDAD 4381

Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford for
reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (C) In an October 28 meeting with the Charge, SRSG
Qazi and IECI international adviser Craig Jenness said
they would press the Independent Electoral Commission
of Iraq (IECI) to maintain the October 28 deadline for
coalition registration and candidate lists. Qazi and
Jenness agreed that the October 28 date must be kept
as a rigid deadline for coalition registration.
Jenness noted that as a practical matter there could
be a few days flexibility on submission of candidate
lists. However, he and Qazi agreed that the IECI must
not be subjected to manipulation by parties that miss
the deadline; the December 15 election date cannot be
put in jeopardy.


2. (C) Noting that Saleh al-Mutlak and other Sunni
Arab hardliners have questioned the fairness of the
referendum vote, Qazi reaffirmed that irregularities
were not of a scale to have affected the outcome.
Jenness said that the report of post-referendum audit
teams (reftel) was being reviewed by the IECI
commissioners and would be released October 29. The
UN officials agreed with the Charge that the IECI must
be convincingly transparent and express readiness to
hear complaints from all communities.


3. (C) Qazi said that the findings of the audit report
will provide important "lessons learned" for the
December 15 election. He said that it was important
for the Iraqi public to feel confident that these
lessons were being applied. Qazi said that the audit
report as well as the results of the review of the
Kirkuk voter registration list should help deflate
charges from Sunni Arab hardliners of sectarian bias
at the IECI. Qazi said that he had responded to
sectarian critics of the IECI by noting that the
Commission must be doing a good job since it was the
object of complaints from all communities.
Satterfield