London, Mar 8, IRNA – British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has expressed hope that a government will be formed in Iraq to serve all the people after Sunday’s election results have been confirmed by the country’s electoral commission,
“It is too early to reach a conclusion on the freedom and fairness of the election or on turnout, but I can say that initial reports are encouraging and that we and our EU partners will be fair and open in our final assessment,” Miliband said.
“The Iraqi people, voting in their millions, have made clear they want an effective, accountable and inclusive government, and one which acts in truly national, not sectarian interests,” he said.
The elections were marred by violence, with dozens killed in mortar and bomb attacks, but reports suggested that the turnout may be higher than expected.
Although the final results are not due until the end of March, preliminary indications are expected in the next few days. It is also seen as unlikely that one party will be able to form a government alone and it will take months of negotiations on a coalition.
Miliband said that the violence and loss of life shows the extent of the challenge faced by the Iraqi people, but insisted that the “determination to vote has been significant.”
Voting, he said, follow “a vibrant election campaign and underscore the significant democratic progress across the country” after the US-led war.
Some 19 million Iraqis eligible to vote are electing 325 members of parliament. Up to 26 million ballot papers were printed for the day, while 1,447 international observers were monitoring the election, all trained by the European Union.