ELECTION RESULTS TIMELINE MUCH CLEARER BUT STILL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000113 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2016 TAGS: PGOV PNAT KDEM IZ SUBJECT: ELECTION RESULTS TIMELINE MUCH CLEARER BUT STILL TIED TO INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER REPORT REF: A. BAGHDAD 0075 ¶B. BAGHDAD 0065 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires David M. Satterfield for reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The Acting UN SRSG Michael von der Schulenburg told the Charge January 11 that, in general, the international observer team (IMIE) is positive about its assessment of the electoral process and the work of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI). He added that the IMIE team intends to present its preliminary report January 15 and its final report January 19; they are keen on the political impact of their report and do not want to slow down the IECI's own timeline for issuing preliminary election results, final election results, and the final report of the complaint review. ¶2. (C) Schulenburg estimated that the IECI would go public with the complaints report around January 14, with the preliminary final election results released on or about January 16. He added that the political entities would have two days to appeal the results of the complaints report, followed by another two-day period in which the Transitional Electoral Panel (TEP) would consider any appeals. The next step, he said, would be a ten-day period of hearings by the TEP. Once that period is completed, the IECI would be able to certify the final results of the election. ¶3. (C) (NOTE: Later in the day, IECI International Commissioner Craig Jenness clarified to PolOff that the release dates are targets and not yet confirmed, especially the dates for the IECI reports. He said that the IECI Board of Directors plans to meet on January 13 to determine exactly when they will release their first two reports (complaints and election results) as the Board has yet to agree whether or not to release any reports prior to the IMIE preliminary report. Jenness is confident, though, that any delay would be minimal and that both the IECI and IMIE desire to bring closure to the electoral process as soon as practicable. END NOTE.) ¶4. (C) Schulenburg said he is satisfied with the work of the IMIE to date. Schulenburg stated that, although the UN had been concerned that the two Arab League members might work independently of the IMIE, they are now working as fully participating team members and have expressed no intention of submitting a separate report. He added that the team is moving forward at a robust pace. ¶5. (C) At the end of the meeting, Schulenburg commented on recent meetings he has had with various Iraqi political leaders regarding the pending constitution review process. He said that the UN is preparing a document on how the process might proceed once the Council of Representatives is seated. He stressed that the process should be issue driven, that the formation of the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) be postponed, and that the international community use the official Arabic language of the constitution in order to maintain clarity in follow-on discussions. The CDA stated that the USG is working on a similar paper regarding the constitution. He suggested, and Schulenburg agreed, that the UN and UK combine efforts with the US to produce a single planning document. SATTERFIELD