Annan says UN electoral team to pave way for next move in Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, February 05, 2004

Annan says UN electoral team to pave way for next move in Iraq

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said at the United Nations HQ Wednesday that the UN electoral team heading for Iraq will try to bring consensus and help with the world body's next move in Iraq.

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UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said at the United Nations HQ Wednesday that the UN electoral team heading for Iraq will try to bring consensus and help with the world body's next move in Iraq.

Annan told reporters upon his arrival at the UN headquarters in New York that the team will "do the work we've been asked to do."

He said that the team will determine whether elections are possible between now and the end of May, or "if we can refine the caucus system or come up with any other option that will be acceptable to the Iraqis."

"We will be open and talk to as many Iraqis as possible, to tryand get to understand what it is that they are worried about, and perhaps try and work with them to get a consensus amongst themselves as to what mechanism would be best for the establishment of a provisional government," he said.

The UN chief noted that the world body can move to the next phase only with consensus, "because if you don't agree on the process, the divisions and discussions will continue."

But his refused to elaborate on what the next phase would be, noting the issues are tightly linked technically and politically and could not be separated.

"So I don't want to make a separate distinction between the strictly technical aspects and some of the political contacts that we may have, because it will have an impact on the work that we do," he said.

The UN chief met on Jan. 19 with representatives from the US-led coalition and the Governing Council of Iraq. During the meeting, the US overseer in Baghdad and the ruling Iraqi council joined in an effort to press for a UN technical team to assess the dangerous situation in Iraq.

A June 30 deadline has been set to establish a provisional government of Iraq when the US-led coalition and the Iraqi Governing Council reached an agreement on Nov. 15, 2003, but the overseers and rulers of Iraq would not allow a direct nationwide election for the government.

But Ayatollah al-Sistani, the country's most prominent Shiite leader, has demanded direct elections for the legislature to determine whether coalition troops stay in Iraq beyond the transfer of power.

Source: Xinhua

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