Taxpayers will NOT foot the bill for the security operation surrounding a Salford polling station for Iraqi expatriates to vote in the country’s general election.
Greater Manchester Police said it was in discussions about recovering the costs from the three-day event from organisers, the High Electoral Commission for Iraq.
Police said the figure was set to rise even further once costs borne by Salford council were included. The council said it would also seek to recover its costs from the organisation.
It is not known what the total costs will be.
Salford leader John Merry has previously told how the council had no say over the controversial location for the poll, the Vanguard Mill off Lees Street, Swinton.
Its owners are believed to have struck a private deal with the commission and the council was powerless to intervene.
Coun Merry said: “We suggested other locations, but the fact remains, we had no say.
Security operation
“The costs should go back to the organisation. We were very clear that what was required was a high-intensity security operation.”
Revised figures reveal that 13,000-16,000 people descended on the suburb to cast votes in Iraq’s general election.
Police also confirmed nine arrests for suspected public order offences, breach of the peace and drunk and disorderly conduct. They said there was ‘minor disorder’ when voting was temporarily suspended.
A spokesman said: “On Saturday afternoon, Greater Manchester Police became aware of a number of procedural difficulties affecting the elections.
“Voting was temporarily suspended, resulting in some small incidents of disorder.”
Swinton was chosen to host one of only four polling stations in the country. Residents hit out after they were told of the event only days in advance. They complained about parking and noise. Several roads were closed and parking was suspended.
Salford council said it had only been informed about the venue days before polls opened.
Mr Merry confirmed that the council would be writing to the government, saying the venue was ‘totally inadequate’.
More than 20 million Iraqi voters – including an estimated 1.9m outside the country – took part in the historic elections.
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RT, UK (10/03/2010 at 13:22)
Big Stu, Salford (10/03/2010 at 13:25)
William B (10/03/2010 at 13:47)
Dzenko, Manchester (10/03/2010 at 14:32)
PILGRIM (10/03/2010 at 15:09)
I Quote....."Number of procedural difficulties" Voting was temporarily suspended resulting in some small incidents of disorder" Well not from where I was standing and I had a birds eye view from my upstairs window that backs onto Vanguard. The voters started fighting and shouting amongst themselves and then all hell broke loose and the riot squad had to attend. The shutter doors where then closed and voting suspended at which point the voters started kicking and throwing tables at the shutters! I'm sure Vanguard did very well out of the whole fiasco though!!!! Thanks Vanguard for being such thoughtful neighbours I hope I can return the favour sometime. We had a terrible weekend thanks to you. Not the sort of thing you expect to have to put up with at the weekend when you have been working hard all week! Muppets!!
The Higher Openshaw Exile, MANCHESTER (10/03/2010 at 16:39)
MancunianHumbersider, Radcliffe (10/03/2010 at 19:30)
Presumably Sir Neil McIntosh is not overseeing their election results? I did not realise that TIF had been resurrected in Iraq. Or maybe the voters realised they had to choose between Richard Leese or Howard Bernstein. The above description reminds me of some of the C Charge debates from 2008. Actually, if these people had been eligible to vote in the referendum I wonder if the final result would have been different? Considering the history of vote rigging in Iraq there is clearly one way that the TIF campaign could have ensured success.
andy waytomakeacomment, Greater Manchester (10/03/2010 at 20:14)
I expect the answer to your question is 'no', since I don't recall there being any reporting of Iraq procuring a military operation into their country at the cost of £2 trillion. Perhaps this cost may be refunded by those responsible.
tony (11/03/2010 at 12:31)
stalyvegasblue (11/03/2010 at 12:48)
Leon Trotsky (12/03/2010 at 08:23)
Yeh right!!! Only in 'discussions'! We won't see a penny then and the taxpayer will foot the bill.
The Grinch (12/03/2010 at 12:09)