January 29, 2004

Jordan Times

Encouraging Signal

Editorial

The UN agreement to send experts to Iraq to examine the feasibility of conducting national elections prior to the handover of sovereignty to the Iraqi people at the end of June is further evidence that international involvement in the search for a resolution to the Iraqi conflict is indispensable. True, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan reluctantly consented to this UN mission, due in no small part to the bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad last August, in which his own personal representative and friend, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello was killed. Annan, understandably, does not wish to get the international organisation involved in the Iraqi quagmire except on solid ground and after the US-led coalition forces can provide the necessary security for the team. Still, this is only part of the problem.

The other matter, which may turn out to be even more important, is how the proposed international team of experts is going to determine whether Iraq is ready for national elections. There are so many issues that need to be resolved before any such elections can be conducted on a fair and free basis. Putting in place the appropriate legislation for this purpose is the first priority. Drafting and adopting such a law requires much preparation and consideration.

Who will adopt such legislation also needs to be determined beforehand. The team of experts may recommend a law on the basis of international norms as the best way to ensure fairness. No doubt, the complex issues related to minority rights will also have to be taken into consideration. There are ample international standards on ethnic and religious rights that can be incorporated into the projected law on elections.

Voter registration may also prove to be a difficult obstacle to resolve prior to the end of June. The UN experts need to examine existing records, if they still exist, to determine who and who may not vote. Here, again, the right to vote must be spelled out in advance. The fact that Shiite Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani has yielded to the judgement of the UN on whether elections are feasible or not is a positive sign. The Shiites are pushing for early elections because they stand to gain most since they constitute the greater majority of the Iraqi people.

Supervision of elections is a major problem as well. Any election under difficult conditions requires close supervision, preferably by an international team of observers. To be sure, there are many other issues to be determined, including the security of the country, since no election can be conducted in an unsafe environment.

Still, the fact that the UN is moving in the direction of helping out Iraq on this critical issue is an encouraging signal that the international community will ultimately determine how the Iraqi conflict will be solved.