United States allocates $871 million to support iraqi elections

Following is the answer to a question taken at the State Department's daily briefing October 21 about the

Iraq Elections And Democracy Promotion Assistance.

Question: How much are we spending on elections and democracy promotion in Iraq?

Answer: Altogether, a total of $871 million in FY 2004 Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF) resources are allocated to support democracy, governance and elections programs in Iraq. This level reflects an increase of $180 million based on the Administration's recent strategic review of IRRF spending priorities. The increases include:

-- $40 million to ensure the Iraqi Electoral Commission has the technical capacity to run and certify free and fair national elections;

-- $20 million for a nationwide elections monitoring program, bringing the total for this activity to $45 million;

-- $100 million to support local and provincial government institutions, bringing the total for this activity to $234 million; and

-- $20 million to support Iraqi Interim Government national institutions, bringing the total for this activity to $41 million.

The $871 million also includes $30 million for the National Endowment for Democracy to provide technical assistance and training for moderate and democratic political parties in Iraq.