NGOs highlight role in Iraqi elections

BAGHDAD, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Officials with aid groups in Iraq highlighted their drive to secure seats on the provincial councils to advocate for humanitarian issues.

"We decided to run in the elections to … promote humanitarian needs," Basil al-Azawi with the umbrella group Commission for Civil Society Enterprises told the U.N. humanitarian news agency, IRIN, Thursday.

Azawi said his candidates from the community of non-governmental organizations ran on a platform that called for filling in the gaps left by what many see as a lack of government effort to meet the humanitarian needs across the country.

"The NGOs didn't have the government's ear over the past few years, but from now on there will be a direct connection between the government and NGOs … to meet growing humanitarian needs," he said.

Hazim Yassin Ali from the University of Diyala said the elections marked a shift in the need to address the issue.

"Iraq is going through unprecedented and unique humanitarian challenges that are delaying its development," he said.

Iraqi elections officials announce preliminary results Thursday. They are expected to show Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his State of Law slate won major gains in Basra and Baghdad province.

Nearly half of the Iraqi population voted in the provincial elections Saturday.