VZCZCXRO2140
OO RUEHBC RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUCNDT #0552 1761728
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241728Z JUN 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4478
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD IMMEDIATE 0678
RUEHBC/REO BASRAH IMMEDIATE 0053
RUEHIHL/REO HILLAH IMMEDIATE 0001
RUEHKUK/REO KIRKUK IMMEDIATE 0001

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000552 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: UN ON PREPARATIONS FOR IRAQI PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  USUN deputy political counselor Molly Phee 
met June 19 with the UN Director of the Electoral Assistance 
Division (EAD), Craig Jenness, to discuss EAD's support for 
elections in various countries, including upcoming provincial 
elections in Iraq.  Jenness, who led the UN elections effort 
in Iraq in 2005, noted that Iraq's voter registration is 
expected to start on July 15 and will last for a period of 30 
days.  He said the Iraqis had agreed to a UN recommendation 
that IDPs be able to register to vote in either the location 
that they have been displaced to or the location that they 
lived in prior to 9 April 2003.  On Kirkuk, Jenness suggested 
that it is likely that the CoR Committee on Provinces and 
Regions will recommend that voter registration occur in all 
provinces except for Kirkuk.  He also reported that the Iraqi 
Election Commission has asked UNAMI's elections expert, 
Sandra Mitchell, to serve as policy advisor to the IEC. 
Mitchell will not be given the right to vote, but she will be 
present for IEC meetings.   Jenness agreed that Mitchell 
could serve a useful function, particularly in providing 
political cover for controversial IEC decisions. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Noting that the next round of the U.S.-UN strategic 
dialogue is scheduled for July 11, Phee confirmed EAD's 
participation in the meeting, and asked the UN to be prepared 
to share its view of what logistical, security and other 
support will be necessary from MNF-I.  She also asked Jenness 
to advise on the role of the EU or other international 
observers.  Jenness said the UN had been focused on training 
domestic observers, which is progressing well, but committed 
to responding to these two requests.  In other elections 
news, Jenness reported that the UN had conducted an 
unannounced inspection of the regional election office in 
Anbar province and the results were positive.  Overall, he 
was upbeat on election preparations.  He welcomed a USUN 
recommendation that he consult with State, USAID, and other 
interested agencies when he next travels to Washington, D.C., 
likely in late July. 
Khalilzad