Thread: Archive News - Iraqi Dinar Think Tank - 01/10/09 - 27/03/10

CBI dollar sales rise by 9% this week

The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) dollar sales went up this week by 9%to reach $518.425 million compared to $475.274 million last week.

“The demand hit $32.670 million in cash this week compared to $27.760 million last week, covered at exchange rate of 1,183 Iraqi dinars per dollar, and $485.755 million in foreign transfers outside the country, compared to $447.514 last week, covered at an exchange rate of 1,173 Iraqi dinars per dollar,” according to a CBI news bulletin received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

None of the banks that participated in this week’s session offered to sell dollars.

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=128427

Reuters World News Highlights

BAGHDAD - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had a modest lead over rival Shi'ites, partial results from Iraq's tight election race showed on Friday, but a secularist challenger remained far ahead among Iraqi Sunnis.

http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/Reu...-03-12T140014Z

Iraq opposition alleges 'flagrant' election fraud

A senior member of Iraq's main secular opposition bloc on Friday protested of blatant fraud in favour of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during Iraq's general election last weekend. The national election commission, meanwhile, said the claims of fraud were either politically motivated or fuelled by lack of understanding of the counting procedures. But it would nevertheless investigate any complaints it received.

"There has been clear and flagrant fraud," said Intisar Allawi, a senior candidate in ex-prime minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqiya bloc, the main rival to Maliki's State of Law Alliance.

"There were persons who manipulated or changed the figures to increase the vote in favour of the State of Law Alliance."

She said that Iraqiya's own election observers for last Sunday's poll had found ballot papers in garbage d.umps in the northern disputed province of Kirkuk. But Iyad al-Kinaani, an official in Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), told AFP such claims were fuelled by political motivations or a lack of understanding of the count.

"When we receive any accusations and there are problems, we block the ballot box and start an investigation," Kinaani said.

"We are used to receiving these accusations from political blocs because either they do not know our procedures or they have not had good results in the election.

"That is why they are talking about fraud."

On Thursday, Hamdiyah al-Husseini, another election commission official, said IHEC had received around 1,000 complaints over the vote, but did not provide further details.

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidAN...ection%20fraud

Ministers tell American companies Kurdistan is safe and open for business

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ministers yesterday told American and other Western businesses operating in the Region that Kurdistan is safe, peaceful and open for business.

Minister for the Interior Karim Sinjari, Kurdistan Region President Chief of Staff Dr Fuad Hussein, and Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir delivered keynote speeches and answered questions at the seminar hosted by the US Overseas Security Advisory Committee (OSAC) in Erbil.

Minister Bakir said, "The Kurdistan Region has an open-door policy. We warmly welcome international business and foreign direct investment, and the growth over the last several years is a testament to this policy. We are delighted to host the diplomatic representatives of 17 nations in the Kurdistan Region. As foreigners have witnessed the Region's progress and stability firsthand, our development has sharply increased, and the Kurdistan Region is now perceived as an optimal commercial base for operations throughout Iraq."

Mr Bakir added that the Iraqi national election on March 7th is an opportunity to consolidate progress towards a successful democracy and a federal, pluralistic and peaceful Iraq. He outlined the importance of the Constitution in moving forward with unresolved issues for the benefit of all the Iraqi people.

Minister Sinjari said, "We all know that business and development are not possible without good security. We are thankful that we do enjoy good security throughout the Kurdistan Region, which has been achieved through the loyal service of our experienced and professional police and security forces, as well as from a supportive population that knows these forces are there for their protection and not for their oppression. This experience has been gained over many years." He also answered several questions relating to security and border issues, and said that there would not be a curfew due to the forthcoming elections.

Dr Hussein outlined his positive impressions of the meeting between President Barzani and President Obama, emphasising the important relationship between the US and the Kurdistan Region, and all of Iraq.

Mr Andrew Snow, Head of the American Regional Reconstruction Team in Erbil, was also present at the first public meeting of OSAC's Erbil Chapter. OSAC is a Federal Advisory Committee, with a US Government Charter, that promotes security cooperation between American business interests worldwide and the US Department of State.

OSAC's chapter in Erbil aims to promote American trade with the Kurdistan Region and accurately portray the security situation. It has evolved from general interest to a fully functioning chapter over the course of the past four months. The KRG supports OSAC's role in promoting US-Kurdistan Region commercial ties and maintaining an accurate portrayal of the security situation in the Region.

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZA...%20business%20

Allawi is seeking an alliance with National Coalition & calm the Kurdistan Alliance

Research Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi with the President Iyad Allawi's Iraqi List and conditions of options form the next government formation.

The information suggests that the possibility of convergence of the Iraqi National Coalition with the Iraqi List, Iyad Allawi, especially since he had held a series of negotiations with the National Coalition before entering in the election was concentrated on the consolidation of positions in the phase after the elections.

In the context of the recently Allawi had worked over the weekend to calm the fears of Kurdish Tariq al-Hashimi's remarks on the presidency, he assured the leaders that the Kurds could be al-Hashemi's vice president for menu support Iraqi Talabani took presidency.

http://www.wasatonline.com/index.php...7-54&Itemid=99

U.S. Secretary of Defense asked the Saudi king forgive the debt of state on Iraq and open a dialogue with the new government complex

The U.S. administration expressed satisfaction with the course of the legislative elections held in Iraq, «it is held in a peaceful environment to a large extent, and turnout was high and probably higher than expected».

This assessment was made by Robert Gates, defense secretary, who was in the area during the elections, and received a detailed report by the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Ray Odierno, who asserted that the security situation in Iraq «see a positive change is unusual, is improving in depth».

Was accompanied by a reporter «Qabas» Gates in Washington during all the leg of his tour from Amman to Kabul and Kandahar and the end of Riyadh

The situation in Iraq and developments in one of the main items of the talks between U.S. Secretary of Defense and Saudi King Abdullah, who met at his ranch in Janadriyah, when Gates spoke with reporters accompanying him said he expected the formation of the new Iraqi government «complex», but he «and we hope will not take a long time ».

When the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques discussed and the minister discussed the situation in Iraq, after the parliamentary elections, Gates said he felt with the Iraqis form a new government, it «provides an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Iraq».

He informed the U.S. official «Qabas» that the Saudis «, like others waiting for the clarity over the political landscape in Iraq before taking any political steps, such as opening embassy in Baghdad».

U.S. officials say that Saudi Arabia «can in this context to relieve Iraq of some of the old loans, and promote trade, and the exchange of official visits, and engage in complex dialogue».

In this context, he noted that Saudi Arabia can do what I did with Iraq with Syria to the dialogue with a view to removing it from Iran

http://www.baghdadtimes.net/Arabic/index.php?sid=59278

Sistani's representative urges major political blocs to form government

The representative of Ali al-Sistani's called on the political blocs, especially the large ones to form a new Iraqi government soon and to stay away from the political pressure that accompanied the previous government, and called the Electoral Commission to speed up in the counting and sorting process and to depend on transparency and integrity in its work.

"The Iraqi political blocs must form the new government soon and stay away from the enticements that accompanied the political process because it may lead to regional interference in the Iraqi affairs", Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai said at Friday prayers at Husseini hall.

"The people made efforts and went to the polling stations to select their candidates for the government, thus the politicians must give up their loyalty to their parties and pay attention to the Iraqi people who expressed his love for a dignified democratic life based on nationalism and acceptance of the other."

"We call the political forces to fulfil their promises and to achieve the ambitions of the Iraqis by establishing a country of love and harmony, and to provide the essential services for its people ... the broad participation of the citizens in the elections is a clear evidence about the mature democratic experience the Iraqis have."

"We had seen a lot of electoral practices in developed countries since many years and these countries enjoy security and stability, but the participation will was March despite the threats of the terrorist groups about punishing any one who participate in the elections ...", he added.

Al-Karbalai also praised the role of the Electoral Commission in the electoral process saying: "The Commission played a significant role by providing fair-minded staff at the polling stations, but we now call them to complete the process of counting and sorting quickly to show the results of the elections and the process should be fair and free of suspicions ... because the doubt lead to considerable controversy, especially for those who are awaiting it."

http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/4/124566/

Counting and sorting process started in Lebanon

The counting and sorting of Iraqi votes at the four polling stations in Lebanon started today morning.

"Counting and sorting process started at 9:30 of today's morning .... There is strong competition between Law State coalition and the Iraqi National Coalition", according to director IHEC office in the southern suburb (Dahyeh).

"The center of the southern suburb began tallying its six stations... the work is going on and the counting is not finished in any stations."

The representative of Reform Movement at Bouchriyeh center, monitoring the process at the Center, Mohammad Bosabie said that "Iraqiya list recorded significant progress after the vote-counting in station number one ... and it won 170 votes out of 275 in the station.

"Law state coalition took the second place till now but the Assyrian-Chaldean coalition gained only 10 votes and the National Coalition won seven votes in the station .... we cannot depend on these numbers however because they are the result of one station, and the voting center includes four polling stations. "

The process of counting started at "Hamra" center too, downtown the capital Beirut, and till now three stations out of six are counted.

The number of voters who casted their ballots at the center of southern suburbs of Beirut was 971, 1069 in Bouchrieh, while Hamra recorded the highest voting and the number of voters was 1464.

At Nabatiyeh center, which is located outside Beirut, the number of voters was 269 out of 3774 Iraqi electors in Lebanon.

http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/4/124569/


Sorting and counting process starts in Turkey

The counting and sorting process began in Turkey office, in Ankara and Istanbul stations in the presence of representatives of political entities and observers, according to the head of the IHEC office in Turkey Rafed al-Zaidi.

"Many political entities wondered about the reason for delaying the counting and sorting process in the overseas elections... we have completed our work without any remarkable violations, but the orders to start the process of counting were issued on Thursday night", he says.

"We will announce the results on the walls of school buildings of the Turkish electoral centers, thus each entity and every citizen will be able to know the results of the public vote."

Al-Zaidi expects that the counting and sorting process won't end before Monday evening, at 4 PM Turkey timing (02:00 GMT, 05:00 according to Iraqi timing).

On Friday morning, the process of counting and sorting of ballot boxes at the six voting centers in Egypt in Cairo, Jizah, 6th of October, Alexandria, and Mansoura started in 37 polling stations.

http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/4/124554/


Counting and sorting start in Egypt

The office of the Electoral Commission in Cairo started this morning the counting and sorting of ballot boxes in six voting centers in Egypt that spread in Cairo, Jizah, 6th of October, Alexandria, and Mansoura provinces, with 37 polling stations.

"As employees of the Commission, We started on Friday morning at eight o'clock until the arrival of representatives of political entities, media and international observers and we opened the boxes in front of them at ten in the morning", Fares al-Attiyah , the director of the Electoral Commission office in Cairo told The Independent National News agency of Kurdistan (Aknews).

"The counting and sorting process will be done in some districts in two hours for the absence of large number of voters in Alexandria and Mansoura stations, while the counting process will continue in other centers and may need another day and end on Monday evening in Jizah, Al-Mansoura, Rehab and 6th of October."

"The number of voters doesn’t exceed five thousands throughout the voting centers and they constitute 60% of the Iraqis living in Cairo."

He pointed out that "the work of the IHEC office in Cairo will continue for ten days to collect the boxes and complete all the logistics procedures, and to thank the Government of Egypt, the Arab League and the Iraqi Embassy for their cooperation, as well as doing the accounts, documents and other things."

http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/4/124548/


Director of elections Syria: Saturday, counting, sorting, and the results were announced in Syria

Said Mr. Haider Abdel Allawi Director, Office of the elections that Iraqis in Syria tomorrow ((day)) on Saturday will be the start of counting and sorting across cities and twenty-three centers.

Iraqi elections were held in the State of Syria, Allawi added, according to a media statement issued by the Information Division in the office got ((et al)) a copy of it: We have completed elections office in Arbil, outside the process of analyzing the data and sent us lists of names and voters (multiple), noting that Syria centers and stations will be open tomorrow at the ninth to start the process of counting and sorting in the presence of agents of entities and international observers and journalists. He concluded by wishing everyone need to adhere to procedures and rules of conduct established by the Commission so that we can complete the process transparent and pleased also started M'daaina success for all.

http://www.khabaar.com/news.php?action=view&id=8697

Asadi for ((et al)): We are not worried about the Commission's procedures because the results are real and reflect a well-deserved election

Stressed the leadership of the coalition of state law, Khalid al-Asadi said the results obtained by the coalition of law a real expression of the election event and realistic.

With regard to question the demand of the Iraqi National Coalition presents the results to the UNHCR, said in a statement Asadi paid by the agency of the news story ((et al)): if there is a challenge, there are legal proceedings must be on any block to walk by .. Coalition of the Iraqi National Commission was asked to present the results of elections across the site of the Office and this is a legal requirement and is not OK. "He added," we are not worried about one thing and we are satisfied from the results of the elections are an expression of a reality and benefit election."

http://www.khabaar.com/news.php?action=view&id=8703

Jubouri for ((et al)): from the declared winner before the tellers furnish the same to challenge the results were not as hoped and....

A student member coalition of law Jubouri all politicians accept the election results in the spirit of sports, both in winning or not.

Jubouri said in a statement singled out by the Agency for News News ((et al)): by the political process, democracy has to approve the election results and nothing imposed by force on the Iraqis because all the bombs and threats, bombings and issuing statements of prevention has not scare them off and went to the polls ... Threat does not work in Iraq sense. "He added, "We must accept the election results and I see it as valid as media claiming either questioned or challenged by, it is clear from the outset some of the entities declared victory at fifth ballot boxes had not been closed yet, and this in order to prepare to challenge the outcome of the election if he does not win, and so far the results have not been announced and they are threatening if the results were announced what will work?"

"This talk is not for their benefit and not for Iraq and Iraqis, and proposed to accept the election results as were produced by the Electoral Commission whether they won Congratulations to them, and not reconcile them to accept it in the spirit of sports."

http://translate.googleusercontent.c...JqGwYZTfwt1byA