Statement calling for Iraq vote delay signed by 68 political, tribal groups

Quds Press news agency, London
6 Dec 04

Text of statement issued 5 December by 68 Iraqi entities urging
postponement of general elections; published by Quds Press web
news agency

Baghdad, 6 December: Following is a joint statement issued by 68
Iraqi political parties, political movements and tribal groupings
proclaiming a united stand in calling for the postponement of the
Iraqi elections scheduled to be held on 30 January 2005.

Text of the statement: In the name of God, the most Merciful, the most
Compassionate. With God’s blessings, the political forces and entities
included in the attached list and registered at the Independent
[Higher] Election Commission [in Iraq] (IEC) [English acronym as
published] met in the Babil Hotel in Baghdad on 5 December 2004,
corresponding to 23 Shawwal 1425 AH, and agreed on the following.

1. All the conferees continue to believe that there are certain
objective and strong reasons that necessitate the postponement of the
elections from their scheduled date of 30 January 2005 for a period
of not less or about six months.

2. The conferees fully realize that there are no guarantees that
the security and political situations will be better on the proposed
alternate date. However, they agree that real action can be taken
in various fields that would provide a better environment to hold
the elections are a later date, while working to bring about the
participation of forces that reject the electoral process and calm
the situation in the hot areas.

3. The desire of the conferees to postpone the elections stems from
purely nationalist considerations pertaining to the interests of all
the various political, ethnic and religious currents of the Iraqi
people or their future. The conferees strongly denounce the local
and foreign media outlets that have portrayed our desire as a wish
to realize the interests of one sect over another. The presence
of the various sects in this conference attests to this fact. The
conferees call on the Iraqi brethren that are not convinced of the
usefulness of our call to sit at the negotiating table in order to
hold consultations and discussions on the proposed topic.

4. The conferees appeal to all the neighbouring countries not to
meddle in Iraq’s affairs and not to exploit the state of division
that unfortunately took place due to a dispute on the date of the
elections. The conferees call on the neighbouring countries to leave
this matter for the Iraqis to decide upon freely.

5. The conferees decided to send urgent letters to the US
Administration and its allies, the Iraqi government, the secretary
general of the United Nations, the secretary general of the Arab
League, the secretariat of the Muslim Conference Organization, the
secretariat of the European Union, and the Gulf Cooperation Council
to convince them of the usefulness of the proposed postponement and to
urge them to exert pressure to postpone the elections to a later date.

6. The conferees pledge commitment to what has been agreed upon. They
pledge to educate the people on the informational level and in all
aspects in the usefulness of the call to postpone the elections.

7. A non-postponement would mean the potential holding of the elections
under bad circumstances that may prevent many Iraqis from freely
and safely reaching the ballot boxes. Thus, the lack of general and
comprehensive participation would mean the emergence of a council
that would not enjoy full participation and would thus lack legitimacy.

8. The conferees have agreed to present a number of political
projects to be adopted as an alternative to the elections during the
postponement period.

9. The conferees agreed to form a follow-up committee consisting of
representatives from the political parties and movements.

The Signatories: 68 political parties and movements and tribal
groupings, as follows:

1. The Iraqi Islamic Party.

2. The Reconciliation and Liberation Bloc.

3. The Iraqi National Movement.

4. The Grouping for Iraq.

5. The Arab Socialist Movement.

6. Prince Ahmad Taha Ahmad Yasin Mahmud.

7. The Islamic Kurdistani Union.

8. The Unity Party.

9. The National Salvation Party.

10. The National Front for the Unity of Iraq.

11. The Al-Ummah Party.

12. The Iraqi National Grouping.

13. The Arab Democratic Front.

14. The Iraqi National Liberation Movement.

15. The Democratic Iraqi Current.

16. The Joint Action Front.

17. The Iraqi National Coalition.

18. The Tribes of Al Bu-Sultan.

19. The Turkoman Nationality in Iraq.

20. The Independent National Front.

21. The National Front for the Tribes of Iraq.

22. The National Front of Independents.

23. The Iraqi National Bloc.

24. The Democratic Centre.

25. The General Secretariat of United Iraq.

26. The Armenian Democratic Grouping.

27. The National Forum of the Sons of Iraq.

28. The Iraqi People Grouping.

29. The Al-Fudul Party of the Tribes.

30. The Tribes of Iraq Coalition.

31. The Council of the Al-Jubur Tribe.

32. The Iraqi Elections Organization.

33. The institutions of civic society.

34. The General Federation of Labour Unions.

35. The National Liberation Movement.

36. The Leadership of the Tribes of Iraq Rally.

37. The esteemed council members and elders of the Al-Harbah tribe.

38. The council of the tribal shaykhs of
Al-Ubaydi/Al-Shuhada/Al-Shamma’iyah.

39. The esteemed council members and tribal shaykhs of Sab-al-Bur.

40. The Union of Honourables (Al-Fallujah).

41. The Central Council of the shaykhs and elders of the Al-Zahra
Tribes.

42. The Constitutional Movement for the Monarchial Coalition.

43. The United Council of shaykhs and elders of Iraq’s Tribes
(Al-Sha’b).

44. The League of the Al-Ahwar Tribes.

45. The Al-Mandani Al-Sa’ibah sect.

46. The Central Council of Elders of Iraqi and Arab Tribes.

47. The General Federation of Farmers and Peasants.

48. The League of the Medical Staff in the Al-Tib [Medical] City.

49. The Youth Freedom Organization.

50. The Diyala Federation of Teachers in Diyala.

51. The National Union of Iraqi Students.

52. The National Council of Iraq’s Tribes.

53. The Society of Iraqi Parliamentarians.

54. The Democratic Popular Front.

55. The Bara’im al-Iraq Organization.

56. The National Alliance of Political Forces.

57. The Islamic Union for Sufism.

58. The Society of Independent Women (Mosul).

59. The Council of the Arab Tribes Coalition (Mosul).

60. The Federation of Farmers, Diyala Branch.

61. The Union of Teachers in Mandali.

62. The Shams al-Duha Society.

63. The Welfare Society of the retired.

64. The Central United Alliance of the Tribes of Iraq.

65. The Al-Sadah al-Ulwiyyah Society in Iraq.

66. The League of Turkoman Tribes (The Independent Democratic
Grouping).

67. The General Federation of Iraqi Women.

68. The Union for Iraq.