Thursday, December 16, 2004
Iraqis want to vote
Sometimes it seems as though most of the world wants to prevent the election in Iraq. But the Iraqis want to vote and are going to vote. Power Line is reporting the results of a poll taken by an Arabic Iraqi newspaper in and around Baghdad. Here are the results from a sample of more than 5000 people:
The unspoken and sometimes spoken criticism of the Bush Administration's efforts to democratize the Middle East is that Arabs are not "ready" to vote for their own leaders, and that democracy is bound to fail. Well, if that is true why are so many Arabs risking their lives to campaign for office and register to vote? More significantly, why are the insurgents fighting so hard to prevent the elections? I have never read or heard an answer to these questions that made any sense at all.
What will you base your vote on?
Political agenda----------------------------65%
Factional origin----------------------------14%
Party Affiliation---------------------------- 4%
National Background----------------------12%
Other reasons--------------------------------5%
Do you support dialog with the deposed Baathists?
Yes-------------------------------------------15%
No--------------------------------------------84%
Do not know----------------------------------1%
Do you support the postponing the election?
Yes-------------------------------------------18%
No--------------------------------------------80%
Do not know---------------------------------2%
Do you think the elections will take place as scheduled?
Yes-------------------------------------------83%
No--------------------------------------------13%
Do not know---------------------------------4%
The unspoken and sometimes spoken criticism of the Bush Administration's efforts to democratize the Middle East is that Arabs are not "ready" to vote for their own leaders, and that democracy is bound to fail. Well, if that is true why are so many Arabs risking their lives to campaign for office and register to vote? More significantly, why are the insurgents fighting so hard to prevent the elections? I have never read or heard an answer to these questions that made any sense at all.
1 Comments:
By 
Gordon Smith, at
Thu Dec 16, 05:37:00 PM:
It's going to be the most interesting vote in democratic history. It's impossible to know exactly how many Iraqis understand what they're voting for (a parliament that will then appoint a president).
What we know for sure is that GWB will be utilizing hyperbole to describe the election's integrity and representational reality.
I sure hope all the Iraqis get out, dodge the carbombs, ignore the occupiers, study the positions of the candidates, and vote their consciences.
This election is the beginning of the next step. I wonder how well Negroponte is going to be able to stage manage the next incarnation of Iraqi government.
