- Title: IRAQ: U.S. ambassador to Iraq calls election "a good day for Iraq democracy"
- Date: 9th March 2010
- Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MARCH 8, 2010) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQI CHRISTOPHER HILL AND U.S. GENERAL RAY ODIERNO COMMANDER OF U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ ARRIVING TO GIVE NEWS CONFERENCE IN U.S. EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD CLOSEUP OF U.S. FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRISTOPHER HILL, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ, SAYING: "Our teams reported pretty much very quiet and very ordinary elections. They were struck by the fact that as they went to the different polling stations, everything was arranged just like every other polling station. They were struck by how people knew the procedures there - a couple of issues with people finding their names on lists, couple of issues of people having to walk further than expected because of shutdown of the vehicular traffic." WIDE VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRISTOPHER HILL, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ, SAYING: "It's a good day for Iraq democracy and I believe it will be a real foundation point of a new beginning for the U.S. relationship with Iraq, we hope will stretch decades to come." HILL AND ODIERNO GIVING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. GENERAL RAY ODIERNO, COMMANDER OF U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ, SAYING: "Despite the initial intimidation attempts in the morning the Iraqi people refused to deterred by this intimidation. The Iraqi people then showed strong support for the political process which we said for a very long time is the best way to combat any terrorist activity here inside Iraq." END OF CONFERENCE U.S. MILITARY VEHICLES PARKING NEAR TALLY CENTRE IN BAGHDAD IRAQI CHILDREN / U.S. SOLDIERS AT BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF U.S. SOLDIERS GATHERING NEAR TALLY CENTRE VARIOUS OF U.S. SOLDIERS ENTERING COUNTING CENTRE SIGN READING "INDEPENDENT HIGH ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF IRAQ, TALLY CENTRE" VARIOUS OF ELECTORAL EMPLOYEES WORKING INSIDE COUNTING CENTRE SEALED BALLOT BOXES INSIDE TALLY CENTRE WORKERS CARRYING BALLOT BOXES HILLA, IRAQ (MARCH 8, 2010) (REUTERS) IRAQI SOLDIERS STANDING AT THE ENTRANCE OF COUNTING CENTRE IN HILLA IN SOUTHERN BAGHDAD SIGN "INDEPENDENT HIGH ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF IRAQ, TALLY CENTRE OF HILLA" ELECTORAL EMPLOYEES WORKING EMPLOYEES EMPTYING BALLOT BOXES FEMALE EMPLOYEE COUNTING PAPERS INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS TALKING TO EMPLOYEES INSIDE COUNTING CENTRE SEALED ENVELOPE WITH BALLOT PAPERS INSIDE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS TALKING TO EMPLOYEE ELECTORAL EMPLOYEE SEALING BALLOT BOX
- Embargoed: 24th March 2010 08:38
- Keywords:
- Location: Iraq
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Defence / Military
- Reuters ID: LVA8H4SERKMBM60XQT892ULMNNKU
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: U.S. ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill voiced satisfaction on Monday (March 8) following Iraq's second parliamentary election is seen as pivotal for a divided country where U.S. troops are scheduled to leave by the end of next year.
"Our teams reported pretty much very quiet and very ordinary elections. They were struck by the fact that as they went to the different polling stations, everything was arranged just like every other polling station. They were struck by how people knew the procedures there - a couple of issues with people finding their names on lists, couple of issues of people having to walk further than expected because of shutdown of the vehicular traffic," Hill told journalists at a news conference in Baghdad.
"It's a good day for Iraq democracy and I believe it will be a real foundation point of a new beginning for the U.S. relationship with Iraq, we hope will stretch decades to come," Hill added.
Iraqis voted on Sunday (March 7) in an election they hoped would mark an end to years of sectarian slaughter amid attacks, leaving dozens of Iraqis were killed and wounded .
Explosions rumbled across Baghdad and other cities after Sunni Islamist insurgents vowed to wreck voting for Iraq's second full-term parliament since the 2003 U.S. invasion, a vote watched closely by global oil companies planning to invest billions to develop the country's dilapidated oilfields.
"Despite the initial intimidation attempts in the morning the Iraqi people refused to deterred by this intimidation. The Iraqi people then showed strong support for the political process which we said for a very long time is the best way to combat any terrorist activity here inside Iraq," said U.S. General Ray Odierno, at the news conference with Hill, held at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
The electoral commission began receiving vote tallies late on Sunday after polls closed and electoral workers continued counting votes early on Monday, in tally centres across the country.
It could take three days to get results in an election that will prove vital to U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to halve U.S. troop levels by August and withdraw completely by end-2011.
About 6,200 candidates from 86 factions are vying for 325 parliamentary seats. No bloc is expected to win a majority, and it may take months to form a government, risking a vacuum that armed groups such as Iraq's al Qaeda offshoot might exploit.
Turnout among the 19 million eligible voters was not clear. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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