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20/02/2004
Iraq elections unlikely before US transfers power: Annan
There is an "emerging consensus" that elections cannot be organised in Iraq before the 30 June deadline for a transfer of sovereignty, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said.
Instead, a caretaker government should be established during the interim between the handover of power from the US-led administration to the provisional government and the polling, Mr Annan said.
“We hope that as we move forward we will be able to work with the Iraqis and the coalition to find a mechanism for establishing a caretaker or an interim government until such time that elections are organised,” the Secretary-General said.
“We need to find a mechanism to create a caretaker government and then help prepare the elections later – sometime later in the future,” he added.
Mr Annan said that there was "wide agreement" that elections cannot be successfully achieved unless carefully prepared under "optimal technical, security and political conditions".
The Secretary-General emphasized that it was "crucial" the impression is not created that Iraq's fate could be decided over the heads of its people.
Iraqis must take ownership of the process and work to find a consensus, he added.
(gmcg)
Instead, a caretaker government should be established during the interim between the handover of power from the US-led administration to the provisional government and the polling, Mr Annan said.
“We hope that as we move forward we will be able to work with the Iraqis and the coalition to find a mechanism for establishing a caretaker or an interim government until such time that elections are organised,” the Secretary-General said.
“We need to find a mechanism to create a caretaker government and then help prepare the elections later – sometime later in the future,” he added.
Mr Annan said that there was "wide agreement" that elections cannot be successfully achieved unless carefully prepared under "optimal technical, security and political conditions".
The Secretary-General emphasized that it was "crucial" the impression is not created that Iraq's fate could be decided over the heads of its people.
Iraqis must take ownership of the process and work to find a consensus, he added.
(gmcg)
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