Millions of dollars in voting equipment arrives in Iraq

[Barrett808]

Tonnes of ballot boxes and other electoral equipment worth millions of dollars arrived in Iraq and were being dispatched across the country for the January 30 vote.

Doctor Farid Ayar, spokesman for the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI), took reporters to a warehouse at Baghdad International Airport where the largest shipment to date was flown in early Wednesday.

Ayar said a total of 90,000 ballot boxes had been flown to Iraq. Between 50 and 60 million forge-proof ballot papers -- printed for the most part in Australia and Canada -- have also been delivered.

According to Ayar, the combined shipments of electoral equipment flown into Iraq weigh 3,300 tonnes. "All this cost 157 million dollars but there will be additional costs," he said.

The government has allocated 250 million dollars for the election inside Iraq and another 90 million dollars for the overseas vote. Tens of millions of dollars have also been pledged by the international community to contribute to the electoral process.

"Security is a serious challenge, but everything is on schedule and we have done everything for things to be ready at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) on January 30," said Ayar.

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