Reply #1: IRAQ: Massive protests on claimed election fraud!!

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The Iraqi election process is turning into a total mess. There is supposedly a neutral election commission looking at this. Will there be enough trust to see the process through to an acceptable solution?

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/522865ea-7746-11da-a7d1-0000779e2340.html

Sunni lead mass Iraq poll protests

By Steve Negus, Iraq Correspondent, and Jan Cienski in Warsaw
Published: December 28 2005 02:00 | Last updated: December 28 2005 02:00

Thousands of Iraqis rallied in Baghdad yesterday, rejecting results in the December 15 parliamentary elections, while politicians started power-sharing talks between Shia, Kurdish and Sunni Arab leaders that may lead to a way out of the crisis.

In the Iraqi capital, an estimated 5,000-10,000 demonstrators representing Sunni Arab and secular groups claimed the massive lead taken by the Shia Islamists in the election stemmed from fraud and voter intimidation.

Marchers demanded elections be re-run, but also called for the formation of a national unity government - a move leaders of the Shia-led United Iraqi Alliance as well as Kurdish figures have already said is likely.