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Kadhimi: We are Preparing for Fair Elections that Meets Iraqis' Aspirations

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi during his meeting with Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (Iraqi News Agency (INA))
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi during his meeting with Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (Iraqi News Agency (INA))
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Kadhimi: We are Preparing for Fair Elections that Meets Iraqis' Aspirations

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi during his meeting with Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (Iraqi News Agency (INA))
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi during his meeting with Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (Iraqi News Agency (INA))

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi stressed the government's keenness to hold “free and fair” elections that meet the international standards and the aspirations of the Iraqi people.

This came during Kadhimi's discussions with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, during which the two went over the political and security developments in the country, including preparations for early elections.

A statement issued by Kadhimi’s media office, carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), stated that the Prime Minister and Plasschaert discussed cooperation between Iraq and the United Nations, and supporting stability in the country.

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of the UN's role in supporting the Independent High Electoral Commission with the technical and training needs.

He pointed out that the government is keen on holding free and fair elections that meet international standards, avoiding mistakes of previous elections. He stressed his government's determination to ensure logistical support for holding early elections within a safe environment.

The meeting also addressed the recent demonstrations, emphasizing the right to peaceful protests and the need to protect them, as well as the importance of holding perpetrators of violence accountable for their actions.

Kadhimi and Plasschaert also discussed the security situation in Kirkuk and Sinjar and the efforts of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in the governorates.

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MSF Suspends Operations at Key Hospital in Sudan's Capital

FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
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MSF Suspends Operations at Key Hospital in Sudan's Capital

FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
FILE - South Sudanese people sit outside a nutrition clinic at a transit center in Renk, South Sudan, on May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)

Medical aid agency MSF said on Friday it has been forced to suspend its activities at one of the few remaining hospitals in southern Khartoum due to repeated attacks, cutting off yet another lifeline for those who remain in the Sudanese capital.
War has been raging in Sudan since April 2023, sparked by a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, triggering the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis.
The hospital, which lies in territory controlled by the RSF, helped treat the victims of frequent airstrikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces, as well as hundreds of malnourished women and children in an area where two neighborhoods have been judged at risk of famine, reported Reuters.
"In the 20 months MSF teams have worked alongside hospital staff and volunteers, Bashair Hospital has experienced repeated incidents of armed fighters entering the hospital with weapons and threatening medical staff, often demanding fighters be treated before other patients," MSF said in a statement.
"Despite extensive engagements with all stakeholders, these attacks have continued in recent months. MSF has now taken the very difficult decision to suspend all medical activities in the hospital."
The fighting in Sudan has cut off up to 80% of hospitals in conflict areas, where millions who cannot afford to escape the violence remain. Civilians face frequent air and artillery fire and hunger as supplies are blocked by both warring parties and prices skyrocket.
Medical facilities, including MSF-supported ones that have suspended operations, have frequently come under attack by RSF soldiers demanding treatment or looting supplies. Bashair Hospital has served more than 25,000 people, MSF said, including 9,000 hurt by blasts, gunshot wounds, and other violence.
"Sometimes dozens of people arrived at the hospital at the same time after shelling or airstrikes on residential areas and markets," MSF said in the statement, citing an incident on Sunday where an airstrike one kilometer away drove 50 people to the emergency room, 12 of them already dead.