UN says role in Iraq vote limited to ‘technical assistance,’ not monitoring

NEW YORK - The United Nations on Monday stated it lacks the mandate to monitor Iraq's upcoming parliamentary elections, slated for November 11, including the potential participation of political wings of Iraqi armed groups, while affirming its continued commitment to providing technical support to the country’s national electoral body.

In a response to a question from Rudaw about the UN’s role in monitoring the key ballot, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, clarified, “I can tell you that the UN does not have a mandate to observe the parliamentary elections in Iraq.”

Haq reiterated, however, that the UN is “providing robust technical assistance to Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission [IHEC] on the electoral process, which is what we have done for the 17 previous elections since 2004."

The November 11 ballot marks Iraq’s sixth legislative election since the 2003 fall of the Baath regime.

According to the IHEC, around 21.4 million eligible voters have renewed their biometric cards, signaling intent to vote.

A total of 31 alliances, 38 parties, 23 independent candidates, and 56 quota candidates will compete for 329 parliamentary seats, including nine reserved for minorities.

Over 7,700 candidates are registered to run, with more than 39,000 polling stations set to open across 8,703 centers, along with additional stations for special and displaced voters.

When asked about the UN’s stance on the potential participation of political wings of Iraqi armed groups in the upcoming election, Haq emphasized that “the registration of political parties and alliances for Iraq's elections is a nationally led and owned process, administered by the Independent High Electoral Commission in accordance with relevant Iraqi laws and regulations.

“The UN is providing technical assistance to support the IHEC’s efforts to promote transparency, inclusion, and trust in the electoral process,” added the deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general.

Namo Abdullah contributed to this report.