Voting Amidst Violence - Iraq

Jan 2005
As Iraq prepares to go to the polls, Baghdad Blogger Salam Pax speaks to the candidates and charts the upcoming election process.

"We look at these elections as a source of hope," enthuses Shia Cleric Hisham al-Awadi. "A hope which might solve many problems which exist now." But while the Shia areas want the elections to succeed, some Sunni regions, like Fallujah, won't even be able to vote. The main Sunni group, the Iraqi Islamic Party, is boycotting the elections altogether and insurgents have vowed to target polling stations. Little wonder many Iraqis are already questioning the validity of the whole process. "I'm not pleased about the whole election business because we are now under occupation," complains one man. Others are worried about the worsening security situation which prevents candidates from operating outside the heavily fortified Green Zone. "We have a situation where leaders cannot move freely among the people," complains Adnan Al-Janabi, campaign manager for the Allawi led coalition, the Iraqi List. Candidates won't even be listed on the ballot papers. Instead voters will select political parties. But as flawed as the elections may be, many others believe they're a step in the right direction.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Salam
• Pax
• Guardian
• Films
• Voting
• Iraq
• Democracy
• Blogger
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman
• journeyman pictures

[ForTheFS]

is this person already dead?

[dogcow666]

why no translation for the arabic?!