January 30, 2005
Iraqi Election
Well, the first free election in Iraq in over 30 years is over. It's too soon yet to have any reliable numbers, but one thing is certain. Unlike the doom and gloom naysayers such as Senator Splash and the Senator Boxedhead, the Iraqi general populace excercised their new access to the ballot box in record numbers, despite the high threat of violence against them from Islamofacist groups. Some initial estimates indicate that the turnout was as high as 75%.
Too bad that our OWN populace doesn't have the same fortitude. In the last election, WE only managed to have a turnout of approximately 65-67% of all eligible voters casting their ballots, and THAT was a record that hasn't been seen in over 20 years! In most of our elections, we are fortunate to surpass the 50% level.
And despite what the Left may try to put out, the voters here certainly didn't face a threat to their lives in exercising their right to vote. Just how many voters here would brave bombs, sniper fire and terror threats to exercise their responsibility as a member of a free electorate?
This puts the lie to the meme that the new government would be a mere rubber stamp of US selected officials. There were over 11 parties vying in the contest, and the choices were diverse enough to ensure that it would be the PEOPLE'S choice that would determine who would attain office, and wide enough to assure that no one party or individual would overwhelmingly overcome any of the others. This means that the victors will be forced to form coallitions to be able to determine the Prime Minister and top council leaders ensuring (that) the widest possible popular voice WILL be heard in formulating the new Iraqi Constitution.
This was only the first step in the process of bringing Iraq into the circle of democratic nations, but it was a damned good first step.
Here are what some of the Iraqi bloggers have to say: Iraq,the model, Hammorabi, The Messopotamian, and finally, Sun of Iraq