Without minimising the fact that in certain areas (especially in Sunni areas South and West of Baghdad) polling stations remained closed or deserted, it seems that, according to the 179 international observers on the ground and to the Independent Electoral Commission, the 275 Members (out of 7000 candidates) of the Transitional National Assembly were elected in a free and fair manner, as much as this was possible under the difficult above-mentioned circumstances and bearing in mind the serious security problems in important parts of the country.
Without minimising the fact that in certain areas (especially in Sunni areas South and West of Baghdad) polling stations remained closed or deserted, it seems that, according to the 179 international observers on the ground and to the Independent Electoral Commission, the 275 Members (out of 7000 candidates) of the Transitional National Assembly were elected in a free and fair manner, as much as this was possible under the difficult above-mentioned circumstances and bearing in mind the serious security problems in important parts of the country.