GENEVA, Nov 16 (AFP) - The International Organisation of Migration (IOM) said Tuesday it would organise voting for an unknown number of Iraqis abroad during Iraq's forthcoming elections.
The Geneva-based IOM signed an agreement with Iraq's independent electoral commission covering voting by Iraqis in 14 countries.
"Part of the challenge now will be to try and find out how large the diaspora is in these 14 countries," IOM spokesman Jean-Philippe Chauzy told journalists.
The IOM, which has overseen similar ballots for elections in Bosnia Hercegovina, Kosovo, East Timor and Afghanistan, said it had conducted a feasibility study before accepting the task.
The Iraqi electoral commission had orginally decided not to carry out voting among Iraqis abroad because of technical problems, but changed its mind at the beginning of this month.
The 14 countries are: Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Jordan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
An estimated 422,000 Iraqis are listed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as refugees in other countries, but the IOM has estimated that up to three or four million Iraqis could be concerned by the operation.
A date for the legislative elections has not been set but the United Nations has said the poll in Iraq should be held before January 31.
Iraq began registering voters and candidates on November 1 despite fears that violence could derail the process in many parts of the country.
Voters are due to choose a national assembly, a regional parliament for the Kurdish north, and 18 provincial councils.
11/16/2004 15:19 GMT - AFP