Iraqi officials say no results or turnout figure expected soon

[struggle4progress]

By Mariam Fam, Associated Press, 1/30/2005 16:36

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) Preliminary results from Iraq's historic election could come as early as Monday, Iraqi officials said Sunday. But final results and an accurate estimate of turnout could take up to 10 days.

Election workers began counting the ballots at polling centers Sunday night after polls had closed, and they were expected to continue throughout the night, officials said. Figures will then be transmitted to a central clearing house in Baghdad, and only then compiled and later released.

Confusion over turnout was widespread Sunday, after the Iraqi electoral commission first announced a whopping 72 percent voter turnout. But they then acknowledged the figure was based only on guesses, and officials quickly backtracked.

''These figures are only very rough, word-of-mouth estimates gathered informally from the field,'' the commission said in a statement late Sunday. <snip>

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/030/world/Iraqi_officials_say_no_results:.shtml


72% turnout! Well, 60% turnout! High turnout! Really high turnout! Well, anything over 50% would be great! OK, now that primetime Sunday news is over, nobody really has a clue ...

[Just Me]

1. CM HOs should just shut up their pie-holes!!!

I hope they get raked over the coals for their participation in propaganda!!! :mad:

[ingasm]

2. I'd like to thank the "liberal media".....

that doesn't exist damnit!

[theresistance]

3. So this proves again that the MSM had no right

to trumpet exact figures of the turnout or even claim a high turnout. Lying bastards are just liars (again)...

[Gloria]

4. This reminds me of FOX announcing that Bush had won FL....

to set up the whole debacle there....

[aikido15]

7. Yep, you know this was intentional...

propaganda just like that was...

Right wing media talking heads are foaming at the mouth announcing success in Iraq. They are talking like the voter turnout will magically erase all the lies, death, torture, and misery this war has been about.

[Spazito]

5. I guess they haven't gotten the precise figures off the fax

machine from Negreponte yet.

[daleo]

6. Here is the key passage:

"Figures will then be transmitted to a central clearing house in Baghdad, and only then compiled and later released."

In other words, the "votes will be counted" in the Green Zone by the occupation authorities.