Official Website of Ahrar Party

Aldin: "UN should monitor Iraq's Election" - Al Khaleej

DUBAI – The United Nations must take necessary measures to monitor vote in Iraq to ensure it remains free from corrupt practices, said an outspoken Iraqi corruption opponent.

Ayad Jamal Aldin, leader of Ahrar party, said Iraq’s election process was fundamentally flawed because of several factors, mainly the absence of an accurate population census which is the basis for seat allocation, and lack of necessary legislation.

“The last census was carried out in 1977... we cannot hold elections without necessary data,” Aldin said, communicating with the help of translator. “We cannot talk of clean elections without a proper law governing political parties.

The Ahrar leader said the issue of corruption in Iraq was greater than Afghanistan, where recent elections were marred by vote fraud charges.

“The main task for the United Nations would be to establish an independent electoral commission,” he said.

“The UN should be invited to monitor elections.”

Although Aldin announced Ahrar’s intentions to run for elections in October last, he began campaigning for making Iraq a secular state in 2003. In 2005, he was elected as one of 25 MPs on the Iraqi National List but withdrew in 2009, saying he took the step because of Iyad Allawi’s overtures to Iran.

He said Ahrar would not forge coalition with any other party ahead of the 2010 elections. Aldin recognised the challenges his party faced in attracting public support to win seats. “Seventy per cent of Iraqis do not want to take part in elections – their excuse is elections will not lead to change.”

Aldin, campaigning for reconciliation, security and reconstruction, pointed to the importance of the elections in ensuring reconciliation. “Only reconciliation can provide security,” he said.

“Security will also be necessary for reconciliation. No amount of force could succeed without reconciliation.”