Press release by Struan Stevenson, President of Delegation for relations with Iraq at the European Parliament, March 11, 2010
News that very senior officials in the Iraqi Electoral Commission have been caught red-handed attempting to manipulate the election results in favour of the incumbent Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, have caused great consternation in Strasbourg. Speaking from the European Parliament, Struan Stevenson MEP, President of the Delegation for Relations with Iraq said today:
"I am deeply alarmed that blatant attempts are underway to defraud the Iraqi people of their true democratic choice in last weekend's elections. I understand that very high officials from the Iraqi Electoral Commission have been caught cheating by entering false data on the election computer. This is quite outrageous and clearly indicative of a widespread campaign to distort the outcome of the elections, a campaign that has included murder, intimidation, blackmail and fraud and contains all the hallmarks of being inspired, financed and managed by Tehran..
"It appears that massive efforts are going into attempts to deny victory to Mr Allawi and his secularist, nationalist Al-Iraqiya list, who clearly must have secured an outright victory in the polls when such blatant attempts at fraud are taking place.
"I have now contacted the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq in Baghdad and urged him to demand the result of the election should be announced without further delay, as every hour that passes simply provides more opportunities for fraud. I am also in the process of compiling a dossier outlining all of the evidence of fraud and intimidation of voters that has been brought to my attention. I intend to present this dossier to a full meeting of the Delegation for Relations with Iraq in the European Parliament. I can assure those who seek to steal the Iraqi election that they will be exposed as thieves and liars and the EU will not quickly forgive them."
Struan Stevenson, MEP
President, Delegation for relations with Iraq
The European Parliament
Rue Wiertz, B-1047, Brussels.
