Barack Obama 2010-01-01 1 Statement on the Parliamentary Elections in Iraq March 7, 2010 I congratulate the people of Iraq for casting their ballots in this important parliamentary election. I have great respect for the millions of Iraqis who refused to be deterred by acts of violence and who exercised their right to vote today. Their participation demonstrates that the Iraqi people have chosen to shape their future through the political process. I commend the Iraqi Government and Iraqi security forces for providing security at nearly 50,000 voting booths at more than 8,000 polling stations across Iraq. We mourn the tragic loss of life today, and honor the courage and resilience of the Iraqi people who once again defied threats to advance their democracy. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi poll workers contributed to the effort, as well as domestic party and civil society observers. Iraqi citizens around the world also participated in these elections, including Iraqis living in the U.S. who voted in Arlington, VA, Chicago, Dallas, Dearborn, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco. The important work of Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) will continue in the days to come as it counts ballots, tabulates results, and investigates complaints. We also salute the invaluable assistance provided by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).