Iraq poll monitors throw out bid to favour Yes side

[ECH1969]

Iraqi and international election monitors have flatly rejected a surprise ruling by Iraq's parliament that aimed to tilt the odds even further against the No side in next week's referendum on the constitution.

Trying to fine-tune vote counting procedures, the National Assembly decided this week to adopt two different definitions for "voter", creating a built-in bias in favour of passing the draft constitution.

But the ruling showed a basic "misunderstanding" of election rules, which should define voters only as "those who go to the ballot box and put their paper in", according to Iraq's chief election commissioner, Farid Ayar.

José Aranaz, legal adviser to the UN electoral team in Iraq, told Reuters news agency that dual definitions of "voter" were "not acceptable and would not meet international standards".

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/81862098-353d-11da-9e12-00000e2511c8.html

[LynnTheDem]

1. In a word...

YESSSSSSSSSS!!!

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. Can you believe what these idiots tried to do?

Two thirds of all registered voters rather than two thirds of those who actually vote!

Fucking ridiculousness supra ridiculousness.

Not even to mention that such high level sabotage of a democratic process by the overwhelmingly Shiite and Kurd parliament would only intensify the civil war in Iraq by openly disenfranchising Sunnis tout court.

Stupid motherfucking assholes.

[VegasWolf]

3. Bush is crying in his whiskey tonight. nt