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Iraqis
Vote on Direction of Country |
Posted:
12.14.05
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This week's parliamentary elections in Iraq hold clues to the
direction of democracy in the Middle East and the status of U.S.
troops.
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As Iraqis around the country and throughout the world cast votes
for representatives in the National Assembly, Americans on both
sides of the debate over the war are looking at the outcome as
an important step toward withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.
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What are
the elections about this time? |
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In January 2005, over 8 million Iraqis elected a temporary parliamentary
body that was tasked with drafting a constitution.
 Iraqi
citizens went to polling booths in October and voted in favor
of the new constitution, paving the way for this week's full-term
parliamentary elections.
At stake are the 275 seats representing 18 provinces in the National
Assembly. Each seat has a four-year term.
Unlike the January elections, when many Sunni Arabs boycotted
the process, Thursday's turnout is expected to be exceptionally
high.
Any Iraqi 18 years or older can vote, provided he or she show
a passport, certificate of citizenship, or military papers.
There are an estimated 1.5 million Iraqis living abroad who are
voting in polling centers in 15 countries.
In the parliamentary system, Iraqis vote for a party to represent
their province, instead of choosing a specific candidate. For
each province, the percentage of total votes each party receives
translates to the number of representatives in the National Assembly.
Candidates, therefore, are campaigning on behalf of certain parties,
urging their supporters to vote for their party to increase their
chances of being elected to office.
Regional
Map of Iraq.
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The dangers
of an Iraqi election |
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As with earlier elections, Iraqi forces and coalition troops
are increasing security measures to try to prevent insurgent attacks.
The country's borders with other nations were shut down earlier
this week to try to keep insurgents from entering Iraq.
Additional temporary restrictions have been put in place. Iraqis
cannot move between provinces, car travel is banned and there
is a night curfew.
Al-Qaida in Iraq, the insurgency group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi,
issued a statement calling the election a "satanic project."
Insurgents killed a Sunni Arab candidate earlier this week, and
another attack against a Shiite candidate failed.
Eleven members of a secular (non-religious) party led by former
prime minister Iyad Allawi were recently killed, in addition to
two candidates in a Kurdish party in northern Iraq.
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Political
Parties |
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There are 226 registered political parties representing more
than 7,000 candidates for the National Assembly.
 The
parties have organized themselves in an assortment of voting blocs,
based on their view on various issues, including how much religion
should influence government affairs and the status of U.S. troops.
The United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) represents the Shiite
religious parties and received 48 percent of the vote in the January
elections. Their top official, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, is the current
Prime Minister of Iraq. They believe in giving more self-governing
power to the Shiites in the south and the Kurds in the north.
The Kurdistan Alliance includes the two leading Kurdish
parties. Their leader is Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. They
hope to protect the autonomy of the northern regions in the new
Iraqi government.
The Iraqi National List is led by former prime minister
Allawi and seeks to create a democratic and secular Iraqi state.
Of all the political blocs, this group's platform is the most
in line with the Bush administration's vision of post-war Iraq.
The National Congress Coalition claims to be an alternative
to the UIA in that they believe that Iraq should be a secular
state that does not establish Islam as the official religion.
Their leader is Ahmad Chalabi, a former Iraqi official who has
been blamed for misleading U.S. intelligence officials in the
run-up to the war.
The Iraqi Accordance Front represents the leading Sunni
Arab parties. They are strongly against the U.S. presence in Iraq
and want to revise the Iraqi constitution to give more representation
to ethnic minorities.
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Importance
for Bush administration |
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The results of the elections and the ease with which the newly
elected National Assembly takes control of the country will be
major factors in how soon U.S. troops will withdraw from Iraq.
Should the Sunni Arabs win a significant number of seats, they
will pressure the government to expel coalition troops.
 Some
experts have predicted that if Sunnis have a larger say in national
policy, the insurgency will lose support accordingly.
Critics of the war in the United States have called for an immediate
withdrawal of troops following the elections.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is opposed to giving a timetable
for troop withdrawal, which he says would give insurgents too
much information, but did suggest that the Pentagon would reduce
troop levels from 160,000 to 137,000 soldiers following the election.
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Compiled by Brian Wolly for NewsHour Extra
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Joplin was able to rise from the ashes because of help from everyone. And I am eternally grateful to anyone who made that possible.
