Monthly food ration for Iraqis hinged on their voting.

[roguevalley]

http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=27256

BAGHDAD, Jan 31 (IPS) - Voting in Baghdad was linked with receipt of food rations, several voters said after the Sunday poll.

Many Iraqis said Monday that their names were marked on a list provided by the government agency that provides monthly food rations before they were allowed to vote. "I went to the voting centre and gave my name and district where I lived to a man," said Wassif Hamsa, a 32-year-old journalist who lives in the predominantly Shia area Janila in Baghdad. "This man then sent me to the person who distributed my monthly food ration."

Mohammed Ra'ad, an engineering student who lives in the Baya'a district of the capital city reported a similar experience. Ra'ad, 23, said he saw the man who distributed monthly food rations in his district at his polling station. "The food dealer, who I know personally of course, took my name and those of my family who were voting," he said. "Only then did I get my ballot and was allowed to vote."

"Two of the food dealers I know told me personally that our food rations would be withheld if we did not vote," said Saeed Jodhet, a 21-year-old engineering student who voted in the Hay al-Jihad district of Baghdad. There has been no official indication that Iraqis who did not vote would not receive their monthly food rations.

Many Iraqis had expressed fears before the election that their monthly food rations would be cut if they did not vote. They said they had to sign voter registration forms in order to pick up their food supplies.
Their experiences on the day of polling have underscored many of their concerns about questionable methods used by the U.S.-backed Iraqi interim government to increase voter turnout.

Just days before the election, 52 year-old Amin Hajar who owns an auto garage in central Baghdad had said: "I'll vote because I can't afford to have my food ration cut...if that happened, me and my family would starve to death."

[ClintonTyree]

1. Gosh.............

I wonder why we're not seeing this in the MSM? Oh yeah, the Michael Jackson thing.

[Vinca]

2. Well, you have to hand it to the Rove machine on this one.

I would never have thought of a "starve the vote" effort. It's all making much more sense now.

[FredScuttle]

3. "Vote or Die"

Puffy had the right idea, wrong election.

[Betsy Ross]

4. Ain't that a switch

Disenfranchise American voters, coerce Iraqi voters.

[greyXstar]

5. Threatening to starve people...

We really have become everything we hate. I actually dread to hear the real news every day because it just gets more and more sickening. I'm so ashamed..

[googly]

6. Bush could have got a 90% turnout if they had threatened to cut

out Beer rations unless you voted. Bush squandered another
golden opportunity.