Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=10/28/2004

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=BRITAIN / IRAQ (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-319976

BYLINE=MICHAEL DRUDGE

DATELINE=LONDON

CONTENT=

HEADLINE: Britain Outlines Iraq Election Timetable

INTRO: Britain has revealed the first details of how Iraq will prepare for elections planned before the end of January. VOA's Michael Drudge has more from London.

TEXT: British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw says registration will begin next month for voters, parties and candidates in the first Iraqi election since the U.S.-led invasion last year that removed Saddam Hussein.

Mr. Straw said Iraqis will be informed of their status on the electoral rolls when they receive their food ration coupons beginning next week. He said voters will have until December 15th to straighten out any irregularities.

Mr. Straw said that during the same time period, parties and candidates will register for the election.

The foreign secretary said he attended a briefing for Cabinet officers on the elections and Iraq's security situation, and he says most of the country is fairly stable.

/// STRAW ACT ///

"There remains very severe security challenges. And some action is going to have to be taken to deal with those. But we were told today that in 14 of the 18 provinces of Iraq, there are fewer than three security incidents a day in those. Now, that is not to say that in the other four there are not, I'm afraid, many score of security incidents. But it is a slightly different picture from the one that many of us are left with, day by day.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Straw spoke after delivering a speech at a London defense research organization on Afghanistan, which held its first presidential election earlier this month.

The foreign secretary said election security in Iraq will be more of a problem than it was in Afghanistan, where more than 80 percent of the electorate voted, and the United Nations played a major role.

Mr. Straw says he expects the U.N. election staff in Iraq to grow, once its security requirements are met. (SIGNED)

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