Election Day

  

THE BUSH administration appears eager to characterize today's Iraqi elections as a milestone. "If people are given a right to express themselves in a ballot in a ballot box, in the public square, and through a free and open press, it'll lead to peace," President Bush has said.
  SF Gate article

We could disprove that theory real fast by meeting those conditions in this country. Is the Israeli press free and open? How long have they been voting?

There are plenty of [...] reasons why Americans should be wary of any "democracy worked!" proclamations from the White House if the voting at 5,000 precincts goes relatively smoothly today. Among the concerns on the horizon:

-- The legitimacy of the outcome is almost certain to come under challenge, assuming the Sunni boycott of the election occurs as threatened. The Sunnis still may have the opportunity to block a new constitution, which would be put to a national referendum on Oct. 15. A proposed constitution would be vetoed if rejected by just three of Iraq's 18 provinces. The Sunnis dominate four of them.

-- Significant victories by Iraqi Shiites could lead the new government to nurture ties with Iran, a Shiite-Muslim majority state on its eastern border, at a time when tensions between Washington and Tehran are approaching a critical stage.

-- With a multitude of candidates and parties -- bringing conflicting tribal, religious and political loyalties -- common ground may be hard to come by in the Transitional National Assembly.

But the challenge of the day is to provide security at the nation's 5,000 voting places.

Like Cagan, McConnell says the perception of "success" or "failure" in today's election will influence public support for the war - and the momentum of the anti-war movement - in the short and long term. Both, however, believe public support will ultimately hinge on the numbers of American dead.

"As the bills come in and the carnage continues, the American public is going to be increasingly opposed," said Dobbs of United for Peace.

(In a CBS/New York Times national poll this month, 55 percent of Americans said they disapproved of the way the administration has handled the war, though 51 percent said U.S. troops should stay, while 42 percent said they should withdraw immediately.)

A coalition of anti-war organizations, including United for Peace and the American Friends, are planning nationwide protests during the weekend of Feb. 19-20.
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But this is what's disturbing about Americans. They have to be suffering before they stop making other people suffer. Which is why the only hope for the rest of the world is to make us suffer.

Meanwhile, in Iraq on election day
Aljazeera articles

The Independent Iraqi Election Commission has set up 5500 polling centres around the country to offer Iraqi people the chance to vote, but election day has been marred by bombs and mortar attacks.

The latest figures indicate at least 41 people have died in attacks throughout Iraq.

Baghdad
At least eight bombs exploded outside Baghdad polling stations, killing at least 28 people. Seven of the bombers walked up to the voting stations on foot and one used a car bomb.

Another car bomb exploded outside the justice minister's house; one security guard was killed and four others injured.

Balad
A mortar attack on a polling station killed one woman, and wounded another and her child.

Basra
A mortar shell landed near a polling station in al-Dhubbat neighbourhood, killing and injuring some people.

Baquba
A US military base north of Baquba city came under Katyusha rocket attack.

Hilla
A mortar attack killed one person.

Kirkuk
Three mortars were fired into the main airport, which is now a US army base. There were no reported casualties.

Latifiya
Mortars struck two voting stations. US troops killed one attacker and arrested 15 others.

Mosul
Six explosions, but no reported casualties.

Tal Afar, west of Mosul
One man was wounded in fighting between Iraqis and US forces.

Al-Duluiya, 70km north of Baghdad
Attacks were reported from voting stations in the city, no reported casualties.

Al-Mahawil, 80km south of Baghdad
Five people killed and 14 wounded when a bomb tore through a bus carrying voters to a polling station.

One Iraqi civilian killed and three policemen injured in mortar attack.

Polish military sources report another incident involving an explosion aboard a bus transporting voters. Three Iraqis reported killed.

Al-Muqtadiya, 100km north of Baghdad
Two attackers blew themselves up in front of voter stations

Samarra
No citizens have voted because of poor security conditions.
  article

As polls opened across the country, early signs showed a poor turnout of voters in Mosul. US soldiers were seen driving around city blocks asking why residents were not voting.
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Is that subtle pressure or is that stupidity? Or both?

Voter turnout was heavy in Al-Qadisiya district of the city, however. A polling station for the city's Kurdish population is located in the heart of the district.

Polling stations in several towns in Iraq have not opened five hours after nationwide voting started on Sunday, the country's electoral commission said.

"In Latifiya, Mahmudiya and Yusufiya, polling stations have not yet opened their doors," commission spokesman Farid Ayar told reporters.

"As you know, Latifiya, Mahmudiya and Yusufiya are hotspots. We have allowed residents of these areas to vote in the nearest polling station" to the towns, said another member of the commission.

In war-ravaged Falluja, nearly all residents stayed at home despite the presence of five polling stations. Only one man was reported to have voted.

"Nobody will vote in Samarra because of the security situation," said Taha Husain, the head of Samarra's local governing council.

[...]

Kurdish areas are expected to register the highest turnout in Iraq.

[...]

Unlike the rest of Iraq, it is not the first time Kurds in the three northern provinces have had the chance to vote in a free election. In 1992, just after the first Gulf war, they elected a regional parliament, and in 1999 they elected three provincial councils.

And they would also like to be independent, and even to have their territory expanded. I've read that some of the Kurds are voting under the assumption that they will be getting Kurdish independence from Iraq.

Kurds voting

A US marine was killed in action in Anbar province west of Baghdad on Sunday, the US military said in a statement.
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That's code for Falluja.

Previous Falluja posts
A Chronicle of Genocide