International Iraq election watchdog endorses vote News
International Iraq election watchdog endorses vote

[JURIST] The International Mission for Iraqi Elections (IMIE) [official website] released its report [text] on the December 15 parliamentary elections [JURIST news archive] Thursday, endorsing the election results despite finding isolated instances of fraud. The IMIE, a 10-nation oversight group led by Elections Canada, agreed to review results [JURIST report] in the wake of widespread Sunni protests [JURIST report] over alleged voting fraud [JURIST report]. The IMIE report stopped short of quantifying the impact of fraudulent behavior on the overall results, but certified the voting procedures as consistent with international standards. Now that the IMIE has finished their investigation, the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) [official website] is expected to release final election results [JURIST report], which will not include tallies from 227 ballot boxes [JURIST report] set aside after their own fraud investigation. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

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On April 27, 1861, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus in Maryland and parts of several midwestern states during the American Civil War. Lincoln took this action to address draft riots and the threat of secession by Union states bordering the Confederacy. The President maintained his suspension even after it was overturned by the federal judiciary in Ex parte Merryman 17 F.Cas. 144 (1861). Learn more about Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus.

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