Statement on the attack against the IHEC Electoral Office in Basra
12 February 2017
Baghdad, 12 February 2017 – UNAMI condemns the attack that took place early morning on Sunday, 12 February against the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) Governorate Electoral Office in Basra, in which unknown gunmen fired gunshots at the facility.
The use of force and any threats of violence against IHEC and its staff are not acceptable and should not be allowed to happen. IHEC is an institution that is one of the core elements of the democratic and constitutional order in Iraq. UNAMI calls on the authorities to do their utmost to investigate the incident and to take immediate actions to prevent any further attacks and threats of violence against the safety and security of IHEC and its staff. At the same time, UNAMI urges the Council of Representatives to finalize the ongoing review of the election laws, the IHEC laws and to complete the work of the committee tasked with selecting the next Board of Commissioners, thus following principles of democracy and the rule of law when responding to the wishes of many Iraqis to introduce a profound reform of electoral process and institutions.
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