Iraq Elections: Farce of the Century

[bemildred]

Registration for expatriate Iraqis to vote in the Iraq elections began on Monday in fourteen countries - Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Jordan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States and runs until January 23. However, according to a renowned expert on international law, Sabah Al Mukhtar, the London-based President of the League of Arab Lawyers, the election is not alone fatally flawed, it is illegal. "Under the Vienna Convention, an occupying force has no right to change composition of occupied territories socially, culturally, educationally or politically. This election was based on the laws laid down by former 'Viceroy' American Paul Bremer and is entirely unconstitutional. Bremer personally appointed the overseers for the election", says Al Mukhtar, thus, far from 'free and fair' and heralding Iraqi 'democracy' they are entirely engineered by Bush's man.

Further, says Al Mukhtar the names of those standing for election are not widely publicized, many names are indeed unknown and little or no manifestos have been published. However, what is publicized are the names and addresses of all who register to vote, they are displayed - in Iraq and all voting centers abroad - at all polling centers. This is simply and purely 'intimidation' says Al Mukhtar, it will "encourage some and discourage others - disclosing names and addresses is highly dangerous, no one will be safe within or without polling stations, now or later," he contends. Intimidation needs no encouragement. Nadia Selim, from Notholt, Middlesex recounts in the Independent how her family in Hay Al Jamia in west Baghdad a mixed Sunni and Shiite neighborhood were planning to vote in spite of the dangers - until they were visited by their local shopkeeper. He requested they hand over their ration books for "safe keeping". The ration books are the means of identity for voters. Gunmen had visited him and ordered him to collect all ration books in the neighborhood. The family refused his request. Later he returned sobbing and begged them not to condemn his children to death, reluctantly they gave in. One can only speculate how widely similarly intimidating actions are being replicated throughout Iraq.

Further says Al Mukhtar no one knows who has drawn up the electoral lists and on what they are based. "I am an Iraqi and entitled to vote, but no one has contacted me." As a prominent and internationally well known Iraqi he can hardly have been overlooked one wonders how many other Iraqis who are hardly likely to have voted for puppet "Prime Minister" Allawi and his gang have been similarly "overlooked." Further, allegation of intimidation of Iraqi expatriates abroad seems to be borne out by the fact that of an estimated seventy thousand Iraqis living in the north of England, just three hundred and fifty have so far registered to vote, according the the Chair of the Manchester based Iraq Solidarity Campaign Hussein Al Alak. A strange reluctance in some cities to hold the elections in public building also appears to have crept in. Manchester Town Hall declined as a venue on the basis that there were too many weddings being held there on polling day. When the wily Al Alak checked, there was, in fact just one booked. 371 Oldham Road has now been designated in an area entirely dominated by the BNP. In Glasgow polling is inexplicably listed at two private houses, 71 Holland Street and 94 Elmbank Street.

Where the external votes will be counted and by whom and under what independent monitoring body is unannounced and unknown says Al Mukhtar. Further he adds that legally election must be 'possible, fair and reasonable' - none of which apply in the chaos of occupied Iraq where votes are also being bought and even Iyad Allawi - who recently tried to buy favors from journalists with hundred dollar bills in brown envelopes - is complaining of being intimidated in spite of being surrounded by US soldiers and tanks. Oh, and the only 'independent' monitoring of the elections within Iraq are being carried out from Jordan - twelve hundred kilometers away. No wonder Allawi has kept his British passport and his mansion in leafy Surrey as insurance.

Common Dreams

[The Magistrate]

1. The Century Is Young, My Friend

It is hard to predict even Oscar winners in January....

The points raised are sound enough, though the first one is pretty technical: an election carried out under the former regime's law would hardly be proper either.

But it seems clear this exercise will hardly bring any beneficial result, but rather serve as the tocsin for civil war in earnest....

[bemildred]

2. And there are many other candidates already.

But a bit of rhetorical excess now and then doesn't hurt.
I didn't find the argument all that convincing either, but I liked
the title, and he raises some good points. I do think it's going
to be an "interesting" week or two coming up.