16 December 2004

(Annan, Powell discuss Iraq, Haiti, Darfur)

Washington -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says U.N. efforts to support Iraqi elections in January 2005 are on track, but Iraq has ultimate responsibility for the conduct of the elections.

"The secretary-general [Kofi Annan] has increased the number of U.N. personnel in the region and, as you heard [December 15], he has announced they'll be opening offices in due course in Basra and Irbil," Powell said after a meeting December 16 with Annan in Washington.

"And, he advised me that some 6,000 Iraqi personnel have been trained in the conduct of the election and over 130,000 have been identified to actually run the various polling stations."

Under the plan adopted by the Iraqi Independent Electoral Commission, the National Assembly chosen January 30, 2005, in nationwide elections would then select a new government and draft a constitution.

Annan said that beyond the immediate elections, the United Nations is prepared to work with the new Iraqi government on development of its constitution and the next set of national elections.

However, Annan said that even though the United Nations is on track with the technical preparations for the January 2005 elections, there are security issues that the Iraqi government will have to address.

"Obviously, there are other aspects of the elections which the Iraqi government will have to take care of, particularly the context in which the elections are held, [the] security-political environment, and the efforts which we are helping them [with] to try and pull into the process those who are outside the process to make it as inclusive as possible," Annan said. "The more inclusive the process, the likelier that the results will not be contested,"

Annan said he also discussed U.N. support in Afghanistan where the United Nations ran the elections, "which were very successful." Although that was an election for the president only, he said, the United Nations is beginning to look ahead to spring 2005 for the parliamentary and municipal elections there.

On the Iraqi Oil-for-Food Program fraud investigation, Annan said he is concerned about getting to the bottom of the allegations as quickly as possible so that the United Nations can focus on its essential work.

Powell said he and Annan also discussed issues involving Haiti and the Darfur region in Sudan.

Annan praised the work Powell has done as secretary of state, saying this meeting gave him "a chance to thank Secretary Powell for the excellent cooperation and the wonderful work he has done around the world. We at the U.N. are going to miss him. We did work extremely well together," Annan said.

A State Department transcript of the Powell-Annan remarks may be viewed on the Internet at http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/39873.htm