IMIE RELEASES INTERIM FINDINGS OF
DECEMBER 15, 2005 IRAQI ELECTIONS 

December 15, 2005 AMMAN, Jordan, The International Mission for Iraqi Elections (IMIE) released today its interim findings on the elections in Iraq, to be followed at a later date with a report on the Out-of-Country Voting Program (OCV). The interim report, which is available on its Web site (www.imie.ca), highlights the Steering Committee's findings and deliberations based on preliminary reports received from a number of sources, including electoral experts, the IMIE field office in Iraq, international monitors and domestic observers such as the Iraqi Election Information Network (EIN), Shamms and Tammuz.

While there is some concern over technical and procedural issues highlighted by the assessment reports, "The election in Iraq has generally met international standards," stated Paul Dacey, Vice-Chair of the IMIE Steering Committee. "Moreover, early reports indicate that large numbers of Iraqis turned out to vote, which may surpass the turnout figures for the January elections and the October referendum."

The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) is to be commended on the way it has performed its role under the difficult circumstances prevailing in Iraq. The IMIE notes that conducting three electoral events in one year is a significant challenge, even for well-established democracies.

Farouk Al-Amad, Representative of the League of Arab States on the IMIE Steering Committee, stated "we hope that through this democratic process Iraqis will achieve a better future for their country."

The IECI has made comprehensive preparations for the election, conducted a well-planned, coordinated and diverse voter education program and, in general, reacted in a timely way to issues as they arose.

At the same time, reports have indicated that some regions did not receive adequate voting materials, which prevented some polling stations from opening on time.

The IMIE will report on OCV once assessments from the more than 350 monitors deployed in the 15 countries in which OCV was conducted have been received and evaluated.

The IMIE will continue to monitor and assess information as it becomes available and will provide further details and recommendations in its final report.

For further information please contact Mr. Fadi Hammoud, Media/Communications Director at (962) 79-644-4738 or via email at fadi.hammoud@elections.ca

For further information and updates, visit www.imie.ca.