The UN's deputy special representative to Iraq Alice Walpole visited a vote recount centre in Baghdad on Monday. She has also observed the recount in Kirkuk.
“I’m really impressed by the professionalism and the good organization of this process. I think it’s being done extremely well,” she told Iraqi state TV at the Baghdad centre.
The state TV is the only media that has been granted access to the recount process.
The results of the recount so far are matching the disputed electronic numbers, said Walpole, “the results that they have are 100 percent tallying with the results that they’ve already seen.”
The recount is taking place under tight security with security force personnel guarding warehouses where ballots are stored. There have been two attacks on warehouses – one in Baghdad and one in Kirkuk.
Iraqi security forces stand guard outside a warehouse storing ballots from the May 12 parliamentary election in Baghdad. Photo: Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP
Several parties have rejected the outcome of the recount – alleging boxes were tampered with. Four Kurdish parties have rejected the Kirkuk result. Sunni leader and former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said the discrepancy in Kirkuk was as much as 50 percent.
Walpole said staff doing the recount told her they are receiving the boxes in a good state and all the documentation is correct.
After speaking to political party representatives observing the process, Walpole said she is “very reassured that their views are the same as mine – that it is the right process.”
She urged caution, saying the vote recount is an important process. The UN will wait for the whole process to complete and then will issue a report.
“From what I’ve seen so far, I think it’s a very good, professional, and transparent process that I’m seeing,” she said, but stressed the UN “won’t be complacent.”
Iraq’s parliament ordered a manual recount of votes after allegations of fraud in the electronic result.
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