09 August 2018•Update: 09 August 2018
By Umar Farooq
WASHINGTON
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Jan Kubis, on Wednesday called on political leaders to take advantage of the opportunity to create a "non-sectarian" national government in the country.
Kubis was briefing leaders at a meeting of the UN Security Council on developments following Iraq’s general elections on May 12, saying complaints of electoral fraud and mismanagement had resulted in the decision to conduct a partial manual ballot recount which further delayed the establishment of a new government.
He pointed out that while the current government has made efforts to respond to popular demands and ease the hardship of people living in difficult situations, it has not been enough to fully address the needs of the Iraqi people.
"I urge political leaders to listen to the voice of the people, seize the opportunity and accelerate the process of formation of a patriotic, inclusive and non-sectarian national government that will put all the rich resources of Iraq at the disposal and for the benefit of its people," Kubis said.
He added that the immediate establishment of a new government in Iraq will accelerate political, economic and social reforms, and good governance will enable job creation and economic development as well as facilitate the fight against corruption.
