Allawi Runs With Alleged Baathists

[Rose Siding]

This paper has seemed unjustifiably protective of Chalabi but FWIW...

WASHINGTON - As Iraqis prepare to head to the polls Sunday some of the candidates on the ballot may be disqualified from holding office due to their prior connections to Saddam Hussein's government.

On January 11, the deputy of Iraq's Debaathification Commission, Jawad al-Maliki, submitted the names of 15 people running on Prime Minister Allawi's 221-person slate that he said cannot run for office because they were barred under the lustration procedures of the transitional administrative law.
...
"We did not get these names until very late," a senior official with the Debaathification Commission told The New York Sun. "But Allawi's list has many senior Baathists. We checked the names."

The official, who asked that his identity not be disclosed due to recent threats, said the commission has received no response so far from the higher independent commission for elections in Iraq other than a signed form from the suspected candidates pledging they were not senior members of the Baath party, Saddam Hussein's regime, or engaging in espionage activities on behalf of Iraq's old intelligence services. All candidates in Sunday's election must sign such a form.

http://www.nysun.com/article/8374

[Dover]

1. Sounds like a Kevin Costner film.....Running With Baathists.nt

[htuttle]

2. "Is YOUR Interim Prime Minister running around with BA'ATHISTS?"

"WARNING SIGNS:

1) Growing bushy moustaches.
2) Shooting rifles into the air.
3) Writing cheesy romance novels.

If your Interim Prime Minister exhibits any of these signs, they may be running around with Ba'athists. "

[Erika]

3. This "election" is such a farce

Seven thousand candidates running for 265 positions. I doubt if the American public is even aware of the facts. Bush is trying to set up another election and puppet government like we did in Nam. Those puppets stole the national wealth and deserted the fight in Nam.

Do the American public read anything other than the Funnies once a week?

[daleo]

4. I guess this Baathist cleansing will be a reason to disqualify candidates

That Bush doesn't like, in the unlikely event that anyone other than Bush's personal picks are permitted to get any votes.

[Erika]

5. Bush's war, Bush's candidates win

Seen that before. Been there.

[heidler1]

6. Token Baathists to appease the Sunni side.

but 15 out of 221 is under 7% which would have no real power in a Democracy. This will not help make it work.