- Title: GERMANY: IRAQI VOTES COUNTED IN COLOGNE.
- Date: 31st May 2005
- Summary: (BN09)COLOGNE, GERMANY (JANUARY 31, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. GV/CU: EXTERIOR OF GERMAN ARMY BARRACKS TURNED IRAQI POLLING STATION, ARMOURED GERMAN POLICE PERSONNEL CARRIER PARKED OUTSIDE; BANNER READING "IRAQI ELECTIONS - IOM" (INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION) (2 SHOTS) 0.09 2. MV/PAN/CU/PAN/GV: OFFICIALS STANDING IN LINE, THEN ENTERING ROOM; PAN FROM SEALED DOOR TO WIDE OF ROOM WHERE VOTE COUNTING IS ABOUT TO START; PAN ACROSS ROOM TO OFFICIALS WITH BALLOT BOXES (2 SHOTS) 0.34 3. VARIOUS: OFFICIALS CARRYING BALLOT BOXES AND ENVELOPES INTO ROOM; OFFICIALS, PAN TO BALLOT BOXES; CLOSE OF BALLOTS INSIDE BOX, PULLOUT (2 SHOTS) 1.29 4. CU/MV: OFFICIAL CUTTING SEALS OPEN; CONTENTS OF BALLOT BOX EMPTIED ONTO TABLE (2 SHOTS) 1.53 5. GV/CU: OFFICIALS COUNTING BALLOTS; ELECTION MONITORS WATCHING (4 SHOTS) 2.14 6. (SOUNDBITE) (German) AMMAR SAEED, IRAQI-BORN VOLUNTEER OFFICIAL SAYING: "Of the exactly 7,329 registered voters, most were here but I can not yet release exact figures. Those will be released in Berlin but only very few did not show up." 2.27 7. CU/ZOOM OUT/GV: MORE BALLOTS ON TABLE, PULLOUT TO OFFICIALS COUNTING THEM, ELECTIONS MONITORS WATCHING IN BACK 2.39 8. (SOUNDBITE) (German) AMMAR SAEED, IRAQI-BORN VOLUNTEER OFFICIAL SAYING: "Vote counting is taking place behind me right now and we are counting on two days at most. But we are thinking we might even be finished by tonight. The boxes and the ballots will then be shipped to Iraq and in two or three days, results will be announced." 2.59 9. CU/ZOOM OUT/GV: POSTER READING "POLLING CENTRE" 3.12 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 15th June 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: COLOGNE, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA6BULGY7RJEG6TK8AO500DMV6O
- Story Text: The counting of votes cast by exiled Iraqis living
in Germany has started.
Vote counting has begun in Germany where close to
95 percent of registered Iraqis living here in exile have
cast their ballots, according to a statement by the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) released on
Monday (January 31).
Organisers said 26,500 Iraqis registered in Germany had
registered to vote for the 275-seat Iraqi national
assembly.
Ballot boxes were put up amidst high security in
Berlin, Cologne, Mannheim and Munich. Voting in those
cities began on Friday and went smoothly, according to
organisers.
In the western German city of Cologne, German army
barracks were turned into an Iraqi polling station as
election officials counted ballots, closely watched by
election monitors.
Speaking to Reuters Television in Cologne, volunteer
election official Ammar Saeed said "vote counting is taking
place behind me right now and we are counting on two days
at most."
The Iraq-born self-employed Saeed from Baghdad, who
speaks accent-free German and holds his host country's
citizenship, said he and the other election officials were
thinking "we might even be finished by tonight."
"The boxes and the ballots will then be shipped to Iraq
and in two or three days, results will be announced."
Officials in Iraq have said earlier a result will more
likely be announced in about 10 days from last Sunday's
vote.
According to the International Organization for
Migration, voter turnout in Germany totalled 61.0 percent,
only slightly higher than the 59.2 percent recorded in
France but well below the highest turnout of 72.9 percent
in Jordan.
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