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IGC chief says UN report on Iraq elections flawed

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Baghdad, March 7, IRNA -- President of the Iraq Governing Council 
Mohammed Bahr al-Uloom said here on Sunday that the council believes 
the UN report on Iraq elections has certain shortcomings, stressing 
however that it has taken no official stance toward the issue yet. 
Bahr al-Uloom criticized the report for exaggerating tribal 
disputes in Iraq and the fear that the Shi`ites might take over power 
in the country, but said however that it also includes several 
positive points. 
He said he agreed with a part of the report that a parliament in 
Iraq would not be elected and is appointed under the prevailing 
conditions that the council lacks required means to form a national 
parliament. 
Bahr al-Uloom, however, stressed that the council is strongly 
against any appointed parliament and that the legislative must be 
a national one. 
He said the Iraq Governing Council currently exercise no 
sovereignty, adding that it cannot compile a constitution for the 
country as long as it has no sovereignty. 
Bahr al-Uloom said the council is against the UN position that 
elections must not be held under the prevailing conditions, stressing 
that holding elections is the only way to form a national parliament. 
He said the council has devised several substitute options against
that position, adding that those options would be raised whenever the 
council deems necessary. 
Bahr al-Uloom said the Iraq Governing Council will wait for 
further developments to decide whether to raise those options, but did
not elaborate on what they could be. 
AA/212 
End