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21 December 2004

Blair Makes Surprise Visit to Baghdad to Discuss Elections

British Prime Minister meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi

By Tim Receveur
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a surprise visit to Baghdad December 21 for talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and to show his support for the democratic political process leading up to the elections scheduled for January 30, 2005.

The United States and the United Kingdom are determined that voting should go ahead as planned, and both countries see the elections as a major step toward returning power to the Iraqi people.

President Bush, at a press conference in Washington December 20, said that the elections are the beginning of a process that will lead to the drafting of a new Iraqi constitution and the election of "a fully democratic constitutional government" by December 2005.

He said more than 80 Iraqi political parties and coalitions have been formed for the January 2005 elections, and more than 7,000 candidates have registered to run for the 275-member transitional national assembly and local legislatures.

Blair, during a joint press conference with Allawi in Baghdad, acknowledged that ensuring peaceful and fair elections in January 2005 and realizing the vision of a stable and democratic Iraq is a "tough challenge." He described the current situation in Iraq as a "battle between democracy and terror."

"If Iraq becomes a stable democratic country and we defeat the terrorism here, which is the same type of terrorism that we face the world over ... we deal it a blow worldwide," Blair said.

Allawi told reporters his government is determined to proceed with democracy and the elections.

"We are pressing ahead to have the election on time," said Allawi. "The majority of Iraqis are excited to have the elections on time. Definitely our enemies are determined to break our will. They will not prevail, we will not allow them to prevail."

"We now are on the verge of, for the first time in history really, having democracy in action in this country," he said.

Earlier in the day, Blair had visited with members of the Iraqi electoral commission and its chairman, Abdul Hussein Hindawi. They are "the heroes of the new Iraq that is being created, because here are people who are risking their lives every day in order to make sure that the people of Iraq get a chance to decide their own destiny democratically," Blair said.

Blair also held talks at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad with the American commander of the multinational force, General George W. Casey, and his British deputy, Lieutenant-General Sir John Kiszely.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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