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Annan`s approval to send election team to Iraq expected soon
United Nations, Jan 21: The United Nations is close to backing an american and Iraqi request to deploy experts who would assess whether Iraq could hold elections by may for a transitional government, UN diplomats told reporters.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan received the request
during a Monday meeting with leaders of the US-picked Iraqi
governing council and the US-led coalition provisional
authority. He said he supported the idea but reiterated that
security for such a team was a key concern.
One UN diplomat yesterday said approval for an
election team could come by week's end. Another agreed that
was a possibility, but said the decision might not be
announced until a few days later.
The team would head to Iraq soon after that, the
diplomats said on condition of anonymity.
Iraqi leaders and the coalition provisional authority
want the UN team to investigate whether elections can be
held for a transitional legislature set to take power by June
30. Iraq's most prominent Shiite leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali
al-Husseini al-Sistani, has demanded direct elections to
choose a provisional government.
But the coalition wants to adhere to a handover plan
agreed to on November 15 that calls for caucuses to choose a
provisional assembly.
Also yesterday, coalition and Iraqi officials said the
coalition may turn over sovereignty to the governing council
if al-Sistani sticks to his demand for early legislative
elections.
Bureau Report