UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed on Tuesday the approval of Iraq's constitution in a referendum and called on all Iraqis to participate in the upcoming election to build a democratic and united Iraq.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Annan said he is pleased that the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq released the preliminary results of the referendum on the draft constitution this morning.

He commended the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq for having organized the referendum under very difficult circumstances.

"The Iraqi people have made their decision and have approved the draft constitution," Annan said. saying this historic event will mark a milestone on Iraq's path to democracy.

He stressed that the high levels of voter turnout throughout the country and amongst all the main political constituencies are particularly encouraging.

"That so many voters turned out to vote despite the threats against them is a welcome sign of their desire to choose ballots rather than bullets to express their political views." he said.

The Secretary-General noted that with the adoption of the constitution, Iraq can now move forward to the next step in its political transition process, the holding of national elections on Dec. 15.

He called on all Iraqis to participate with the same commitment in the upcoming election campaign, which will determine the composition of Iraq's new parliament.

Annan also hoped that the adoption of Iraq's constitution will encourage all Iraqis to reach out to one another in a spirit of national reconciliation through a fully inclusive political process to build a democratic and united Iraq.

He reaffirmed that the United Nations will continue to make every effort to support the efforts of the Iraqi people and government to that end.

(Source: Xinhua)