2/5/2010U.S. pleased by reinstatement of 500 candidates to election list in Iraq
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (KUNA) -- U.S. officials were "heartened" by the Iraqi judicial decision this week to reverse the deletion of the 500 names of mostly Sunni candidates from the election lists for the March 7 election in Iraq, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday.
"We care very deeply that this election be free and fair and viewed as legitimate by all of the communities within Iraq and by the neighbors," she said in remarks at the State Department. "This is an extraordinary opportunity for Iraqis to consolidate their democracy. We have not made any decision about reacting to events that might occur within the context of the election, but we certainly were heartened by the court decision earlier."
U.S. officials were "very pleased" that the decision made by the Iraqis themselves opens the way for these 500 individuals to stand for election, Clinton said. "We think that is an appropriate outcome, and the Iraqis made it on their own within their own legal process. We do very much encourage all of the parties and leaders of Iraq to ensure that nothing is done which undermines the legitimacy of this election.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (KUNA) -- U.S. officials were "heartened" by the Iraqi judicial decision this week to reverse the deletion of the 500 names of mostly Sunni candidates from the election lists for the March 7 election in Iraq, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday.
"We care very deeply that this election be free and fair and viewed as legitimate by all of the communities within Iraq and by the neighbors," she said in remarks at the State Department. "This is an extraordinary opportunity for Iraqis to consolidate their democracy. We have not made any decision about reacting to events that might occur within the context of the election, but we certainly were heartened by the court decision earlier."
U.S. officials were "very pleased" that the decision made by the Iraqis themselves opens the way for these 500 individuals to stand for election, Clinton said. "We think that is an appropriate outcome, and the Iraqis made it on their own within their own legal process. We do very much encourage all of the parties and leaders of Iraq to ensure that nothing is done which undermines the legitimacy of this election.
" There is "an enormous amount of political activity (in Iraq), which is all to the good," she said. "Iraq is now engaged in politics, and people are forming coalitions and seeking votes and reaching beyond their own community to do so. That is exactly what we want to encourage. So obviously, anything that would undermine the potential legitimacy would be of concern to us."
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