The elections in Iraq are actually already started (for those Iraqis living outside Iraq, voting has been going on for a few days). But the real day is fast approaching -- I think the time difference is such that they'll be waking in a few hours and going to the polls.
Good luck.
I hope the insurgents don't kill ANYONE.
I hope the election results are accepted and respected.
Whatever happens, and no matter how badly I feel about our leadership's actions, elections are a chance to improve things. I hope they work.
I'll be praying for you.
And for us.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Hear, hear!
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I hope Allawi doesn't win because I don't trust him. I read that he executed seven people by shooting them in the head. This bothers me for some reason.
Posted by Amka (Member # 690) on :
Amen, Bob.
Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
Good luck, Iraq.
Syn: IIRC, it's not a general election; they're electing a "Congress" of sorts to write the Constitution and govern until the next election. Allawi isn't up quite yet.
--j_k
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
I propose a title change:
"Good luck, Iraq... Good luck, US"
JH
Posted by Danzig avoiding landmarks (Member # 6792) on :
Good luck.
Posted by Bean Counter (Member # 6001) on :
Beats shooting them in the gut. I too hope for ligetimacy and stability. This deployment would be much nicer in an optimistic Iraq. Contrary to what some say, Georgia does indeed get cold!
SPC BC
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
quote: I hope the election results are accepted and respected
Me too. Especially if the new government asks us to leave...
Posted by newfoundlogic (Member # 3907) on :
So far, so good. No major attacks yet.
quote: Syn: IIRC, it's not a general election; they're electing a "Congress" of sorts to write the Constitution and govern until the next election. Allawi isn't up quite yet.
Allawi is essentially up because its going to be the members of the Iraqi parliament that will write the constitution and then most likely choose the prime minister from amongst themselves.
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
72% turnout... not bad...
Posted by mothertree (Member # 4999) on :
There were 44 deaths, 9 of which were suicide bombers so I don't know if it's fair to say it is more like 35. Not that the bombers aren't people, but I don't think they were voters and may not have been citizens. 1 US marine died. It is terrribly sad that anyone had to die in order to vote, but I would risk those odds to participate in government.
Predominantly Sunni areas had empty and in some case closed polls, which is sort of concerning. But since it is an assembly election, will those areas have representation anyway? Or is it a system where the assembly seats are allocated based on the percent the party took of the total vote? Until today, I thought there were over 80 presidential candidates. Duh.
I like the more than 2 or 3 party system. I wish we had that here.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I wish we had voters here who would risk missing their favorite tv show to go out and vote. It is humbling to watch these people go out and vote, knowing what they are facing.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Check out the Iraqi Flag that the kid is waving in the fifth picture. What with all the "we need new symbol for Iraq" considerations going on for the last year and a half, that particular flag seems to be the best representation of aspirations for a New Iraq.
[ January 30, 2005, 03:02 PM: Message edited by: aspectre ]
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
quote: I wish we had voters here who would risk missing their favorite tv show to go out and vote. It is humbling to watch these people go out and vote, knowing what they are facing.
Amen to that. I was calling people on election day this past year to remind them to vote. It was astounding how many people just blew me off.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I am concerned that the Sunni turnout was so low. Is there really a way for a country which is divided along religious lines to be a true democracy? I mean, is this a form of government that makes sense for this culture?
Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :
Do you think the U.S. is divided along religious lines?
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Kasie, I really think it is a lot different, don't you?
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
"Is there really a way for a country which is divided along religious lines to be a true democracy?"
*polite cough* Let me ask our agnostic president. He's a lot like the Christian president the Christians keep electing, but we have to keep him in an undisclosed location and none of his decisions matter except in ironic ways.
Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :
Personally, I think the Sunni boycott of the vote shows a complete misunderstanding of what a vote is for. "Let's make our voices heard by being completely quiet!"
That doesn't work. I mean, I would have expected a real power-hungry group to strong arm people and influence the vote in a way they thought was favorable. I Guess maybe they don't have that ability anymore?
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Tom and Kasie, I really didn't mean to "go there."
What I am trying unsuccessfully to ask is, what kind of government could/might/will emerge in a country like Iraq? I just don't think our present style of democracy is it, or even close.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote: I think the Sunni boycott of the vote shows a complete misunderstanding of what a vote is for. "Let's make our voices heard by being completely quiet!"
They understand, but they also recognize that they are in the minority and, all else being equal, will not gain representation due to their minority status; the system isn't set up in a way to guarantee minority participation. So in protest of that system, some Sunnis chose to boycott the vote altogether in order to point out what they consider to be the flaws in the process.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Unfortunately, most of those guarantees have to be put in place by a legitimate authority. In our case, this was the Constitutional Convention and subsequent amendments. The former required basically a majority rule at some point, and the former, with exception of the 13th-15th, required a super majority to agree to provide those protections at some point.
They can protest all they want, but they better start participating soon if they want to have some say.
Dagonee
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Well, that is the basis of my poorly worded question. I just don't see the majority rule as a fair(for lack of a better word) one in this case.
(Please excuse my lame way of discussing politics. I am really just curious)
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