Washington, June 02: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday hailed the Iraqi supreme court’s ratification of election results, and urged political leaders to move “without delay” to form a new government.
“I welcome today’s action by the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court certifying the results of the national election,” the chief US diplomat said in a statement.
She praised the strong nationwide voter turnout for the March 7 general election, adding the country’s electoral commission and security forces managed to stage what she called “a credible and competitive election.”
The whole electoral “experience demonstrates that Iraqis want to use the political process to choose their leaders and settle differences,” she added.
“With the election results officially certified, we call on Iraq’s political leaders to move forward without delay to form an inclusive and representative government that will work on behalf of the Iraqi people,” she said.
She pledged continued US support for Iraq’s fledgling democracy.
The supreme court ruling confirms initial election results released in late March that put former premier Iyad Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc in the lead, followed closely by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s State of Law alliance.
However, the court reiterated a previous court decision that deals a blow to Allawi’s claim to have the right to be awarded the first opportunity to form a government.
–Agencies