Bolton questions dismissal of UN election chief days before Iraq vote News
Bolton questions dismissal of UN election chief days before Iraq vote

[JURIST] US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton Monday criticized the expected dismissal of Carina Perelli [JURIST report], chief of the UN's Electoral Assistance Division [official website] in charge of organizing and promoting free elections, just 10 days before December 15 elections in Iraq. Bolton told reporters that a probe into Perelli's department began in December 2004 and findings were made in August 2005. "Clearly there is no urgency to a decision or it wouldn't have taken a year," Bolton said. Perelli has been generally praised for her efforts in organizing elections in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Palestinian territories, but her staff claimed [JURIST report] that "sexual innuendo is part of the 'fabric'" in her office and the investigative report cites emotional suffering by staff members as a result of Perelli's behavior. She is expected to appeal her firing first to the UN Joint Disciplinary Committee, and then to the Administrative Tribunal [UN backgrounder], which will make a final, binding decision. Reuters has more.