EU observers arrive in Iraq

A team of European Union observers arrived in the Iraqi city of Irbil to assess the electoral process which is due to open on Sunday.

The 16 member team will be stationed in major Iraqi cities. An official from the group says their mission is to analyze all the steps of the electoral process. Balloting is based on an open-list system which allows voters to choose either a political party, or a candidate and that candidate's party. The election will decide the 325 members of Iraq's Council of Representatives.

Filon Moror, EU Iraqi Election Observer, said, "During the electoral campaign all the political competitors should display restraint and follow the code of conduct and the regulations issued by the electoral authority in Iraq. So I think these incidents are regrettable and we hope they will not have an impact on the electoral process."