Doubts Rise Over a Partial Iraqi Election

[Barrett808]

Doubts Rise Over a Partial Iraqi Election
Wed Sep 22, 4:07 AM ET
Peyman Pejman , Inter Press Service (IPS)

BAGHDAD, Sep 22 (IPS) - Iraqi leaders and officials are getting jittery over the now partial elections proposed for January next year.

The government of U.S. appointed prime minister Iyad Allawi has said, with U.S. and British backing, that elections will be held as planned even if people in areas under rebel control do not vote.

That is a growing number. Chairman of the U.S. Central Command Gen. John Abizaid said earlier this month that there are now more areas under the control of unknown armed groups than there were last year.

These areas now spread from the north near Mosul to cities such as Fallujah and Ramada, Sadr City in Baghdad and down to places in the south.

The reaction to proposals that elections may not be held in all of Iraq (news - web sites) has been mixed. Some Iraqi and international human rights groups say they are not happy with the decision but can understand it as long as the government does not claim the elections are fair.

"If you are going to have elections, our concern is that those elections be held in a manner that is free and fair," Joe Stork, acting director of the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch told IPS.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=oneworld/6573945041095840449

[Ganja Ninja]

1. Following the Florida model I see.

Partial elections?

[yellowcanine]

4. My thoughts also - partial election = only some people get to vote

and/or have their votes counted.

[cmd]

2. If you're with us, you get to vote

It sounds as fair and balanced to me as Faux News.

:eyes:

[Ganja Ninja]

7. Partial elections = partial Democracy. n/t

[BootinUp]

3. get this story rated up

Allawi and dubya are going to do their "double -plus good" speech tomorrow and completely ignore reality.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. I can't figure out how they determine who the candidates are,

and how and when they will campaign. There doesn't seem to be any sort of a political process there right now, and I can't imagine that they can put one together by January.

[BootinUp]

6. possible scenario for political process

picture many radical muslims carrying AK-47's in a room. The door is guarded. The town is represented by a few unarmed men. There is a gun to their head.

questions?

[The_Casual_Observer]

9. But really, nobody is asking these questions, simply "reporting"

that they are hell bent on this "election". So far, nobody has addressed the practical matters at all, other than the obvious security problem.

[Cocoa]

8. "Bush frustrated by partial election"

[w4rma]

10. Bush hails Iraq as model for region

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5229801
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x845690

Bush, and his followers, are total wackos.

[VegasWolf]

11. Thinking out loud. Let's just limit the voting to the Green Zone!!!

eom

[newyawker99]

12. Hi VegasWolf!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: