US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4437

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 004437 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/28/15 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PNAT, KDEM, IZ, Elections 
SUBJECT: UNAMI REAFFIRMS OCTOBER 28 DEADLINE 
 
REF: BAGHDAD 4381 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford for reasons 1.4 (B) a 
nd (D). 
 
1. (C) In an October 28 meeting with the Charge, SRSG Qazi 
and IECI international adviser Craig Jenness said they would 
press the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) to 
maintain the October 28 deadline for coalition registration 
and candidate lists.  Qazi and Jenness agreed that the 
October 28 date must be kept as a rigid deadline for 
coalition registration.  Jenness noted that as a practical 
matter there could be a few days flexibility on submission of 
candidate lists.  However, he and Qazi agreed that the IECI 
must not be subjected to manipulation by parties that miss 
the deadline; the December 15 election date cannot be put in 
jeopardy. 
 
2. (C) Noting that Saleh al-Mutlak and other Sunni Arab 
hardliners have questioned the fairness of the vote, Qazi 
reaffirmed that irregularities were not of a scale to have 
affected the outcome.  Jenness said that the report on the 
post-referendum audit conducted in four governorates 
(reftel) was being reviewed by the IECI commissioners and 
would be released October 29.  The UN officials agreed with 
the Charge that the IECI must be convincingly transparent and 
express readiness to hear complaints from all communities. 
 
3. (C) Qazi said that the audit report will provide important 
"lessons learned" for the December 15 election.  He said that 
it was important for the Iraqi public to feel confident that 
these lessons were being applied.  Qazi said that the audit 
report as well as the results of the review of the Kirkuk 
voter registration list should help deflate charges from 
Sunni Arab hardliners of sectarian bias at the IECI.  Qazi 
said that he had responded to sectarian critics of the IECI 
by noting that the Commission must be doing a good job since 
it was the object of complaints from all communities. 
Satterfield