UN Secretary-General Ban urges Iraqi leaders to finish government formation

[News_Editor]

UN Secretary-General Ban urges Iraqi leaders to finish government formation

2011-04-06 05:36:18 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged Iraqi leaders to complete the formation of their government to address crucial issues affecting the Middle Eastern country.

Ban referred to the crucial tasks of bolstering stability and addressing social and economic challenges in Iraq. The national partnership government was formed in December 2010.

"The transition from one elected government to another was an historic accomplishment and brought an end to months of political uncertainty. However, further steps need to be taken to complete the Government formation process as soon as possible," said Ban.

The new government is led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and ended a nine-month political stalemate that followed the March elections. However, the cabinet has not been completed including key security posts.

"The early finalization of the Government formation process will enable Iraq’s leadership to take the measures required to address the legitimate concerns of the Iraqi people," added the Secretary-General.

As in other parts in the region, Iraq has witnessed a wave of civil unrest due to the poor state of public services, high unemployment and the government's failure to tackle corruption.

Ban warned that "unless there is quick and concerted action by the Government of Iraq to address these concerns, the political and security gains that Iraq has made in recent years could be undermined."

The UN head also expressed concern over the use of force by Iraq's security forces in handling some of these protests and the consequent loss of life. Arbitrary arrests, detention and torture, and the ill-treatment of journalists and media personnel covering the events were also reported.

Furthermore, Ban reassured the UN support, through the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), towards the new government which is the second elected government after the U.S.-led invasion that demoted former leader Saddam Hussein eight years ago.

"UNAMI is working to ensure that robust, credible and flexible security arrangements are in place before the drawdown of United States forces at the end of 2011," remarked Ban.

According to UN data, there were 3,000 security incidents over the past four months, resulting in at least 950 civilian deaths. The Secretary-General labeled the security situation in Iraq as "tenuous."

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