Secrecy surrounds Iraq elections (candidate names, polling locations)

[Cocoa]

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0113/p01s03-woiq.htm

<snip>

The identities of many of the candidates haven't been publicly disclosed and are likely to remain secret until after election day, an illustration of the difficulty in mounting an election amid war.

"Not having the candidates' names known is far from ideal for an election, but I think we can all understand the fears over their safety,'' says a foreign election adviser. "Security is a very big issue for all candidates."

<snip>

Candidates' identities are not the only remaining secret in the election. To help prevent them from being attacked, the location of polling places will not be released until about a week before the election. Party platforms also seem to be kept secret. Campaigning has also been limited, with almost no mass campaign events or rallies. A recent survey indicates that most Iraqi voters are unaware of the party lists' political platforms.

More…

[VegasWolf]

1. Bush's puppet wins in a landslide. Allawi thanks amerika for

democracy and looks forwaard to ruling with halliburton.

[Spazito]

2. Yep! No publicity except for Allawi....

gosh, security issues sure can be 'convenient' at times, can't they.

[AzDar]

3. Yep. We've successfully brought Bush-style Democracy to Iraq...

Freedom is on the march......LOL

[Bozita]

4. caution: text of this message contains an obscenity

unfuckingbelievable!

[Wickerman]

5. Iraq is free, they can have elections

No one knows who they are voting for, or where to vote. Many parts of the country won't be able to vote. "Insurgents" are predicted to be out gunning for those who do venture out to vote. :eyes: Yep, ya made em free, George.

Last week I asked DU if anyone could find a source for the names of the candidates. I wanted to see if they were mainly BushCo.-like picks and was unable to find anything on my own. Guess no one else could, either.


Its interesting to see that Iraqi's who vote in just over a week, cant' either. :eyes:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2920811

[Cocoa]

7. maybe if the Iraqi voters are lucky

we'll tell them who they voted for after the elections. I'm sure they'll be curious to know.

[illflem]

6. Seems to me in a fair election

any candidates whose only platform is get the Americans out now would be sure winners

[Bragi]

8. Kinda sounds like parts of Florida

[Guaranteed]

9. ROFL that is so not funny but I can't help but laugh.

Don't tell people who the candidates are OR where the polling places are.

Hope these guys aren't expecting a high turnout. Don't think they are, though.

[Cocoa]

10. almost as funny as election monitors

monitoring the election from Jordan.

[Redstone]

11. I can't stand this anymore;

I'm laughing so hard that my cheekbones hurt.

Do these people ever listen to themselves? Guess not.

Redstone

[RuleofLaw]

12. Here is something I don't understand

If they don't know the name of the candidates and their platforms, how can the estimated 1 million Iraqis living outside of Iraq vote?

What will the ballot look like:

IRAQ ELECTION 2005

Yes

No

Thank you for voting

[leftchick]

13. It will look like this....

Allawi

Allawi

Allawi

Allawi

Allawi

... Take your pick!

[Supersedeas]

14. for Rove and Co.....elections are a 'family' matter--they'll tell ya when

ya need to know.

[pdxmom]

15. The Iraqis are going to be about as informed

as most of those who voted for Bush.

[mulethree]

16. Whats the value of uninformed consent?

This is pure popularity contest / name recognition.

What do you do about the dozens who will come forward afterwards saying they were candidates but were not put onto the ballot?

Then when you announce the results? You first send busses and trucks to haul away the winners and their families to 'secure undisclosed locations' to ensure their security before you announce the winners?

Warlords who have their own militia protection get to campaign, but no-one else?

Better to have no candidates, and no names on the ballot and just have people list their top 5 nominees for the constitutional assembly.

[Junkdrawer]

17. jimshoes posted the "Official Iraqi ballot" in GD...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2941948#2942258

[Junkdrawer]

20. ^^^

:evilgrin:

[jukes]

18. i had to ck the link 2ce!

to triple ck the source: i thought surely this was a satire.

there are no words to describe the audaciousness of this. bushbots actually believe this is an election. the administration can just spew any gibberish at all, & their people are going to actually think they said something w/ meaning & content.

[noamnety]

19. here's a nice quote

"But what would push the country over the line into civil war would be the determination of one group to lord it over the others."

[TexasLawyer]

21. This gives new meaning to the term...

"secret ballot".

[daleo]

22. The election was held in Washington months ago

This Iraqi vote gathering is a formality - a simple observance of a quaint ritual. It is like throwing salt over your left shoulder - they are just doing it for good luck.

[LynnTheDem]

23. What's so funny???

Free elections for less than 50% of the population, for unknown candidates, at unknown polling locations, for a nation under occupation by a foreign army, under martial law, during a raging war.

Ya'll won't be laughing when that's us! HAH!

:D

[Bozita]

24. WOW!

Well done.

[LynnTheDem]

25. More "WOW" is that it's all TRUE; (links)

for less than 50% of the population

So: the four provinces containing the cities of Baghdad, Fallujah, Mosul, and Tikrit. That's sort of like an American election in which California, New York, Illinois, and Ohio couldn't vote. In fact, it's worse: those four provinces contain about 50% of Iraq's population.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_01/005409.php

for unknown candidates at unknown polling stations

(per OP) http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0113/p01s03-woiq.htm

under occupation by a foreign army we don't need links to. :D

under martial law

Iraq Extends Martial Law for 30 Days (Jan 6-February/2005)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52534-2005Jan6.html

during a raging war is another one I don't think we need links to.

Life is stranger than fiction, they say; well ain't that the truth with this one! Anyone who tried to write this as fiction would have been laughed out of town. That is, before bush. :eyes: