IECI ANNOUNCES CERTIFIED ELECTION RESULTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000409 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2016 TAGS: PGOV PNAT KDEM IZ SUBJECT: IECI ANNOUNCES CERTIFIED ELECTION RESULTS Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (U) At a February 10 press conference, the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) formally announced the certification of results for the December 15 Council of Representatives elections. The press conference was called to order by IECI Chairman Izaddin Hindawi who thanked all contributing authorities and the Iraqi people for a successful election. His remarks were followed by other commissioners who read details of the final election results, summarizing the complaints and appeals process, and presenting the names of candidates who would fill the Council's 275 seats. Missing from the list were three Allawi list candidates who were excluded after being named by the National De-Ba'athification Commission. ¶2. (C/REL UN AND MNFI) Following the press conference, International Commissioner Craig Jenness told PolOff that the Prime Minister's office, and then Jafari himself, had contacted the Commissioners just before the press conference, and asked the board to refrain from mentioning the names of the winning candidates in order to allow an opportunity for changes if the courts or the De-Ba'athification Commission were to rule in favor of the affected candidates. Jenness said that the board had denied the requests, as they were too late and "without foundation". Furthermore, Jenness claimed the board felt unauthorized to take such a step. Acknowledging the Embassy's concerns about the lack of transparency in the de-Ba'athification action, Jenness said that if Jafari had really wanted to keep the three candidates on the list, he should have approached the board before the morning of the announcement of certified results. KHALILZAD