The Iraqi Election Newswire links to this letter in the href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1395206,00.html" target...
The Iraqi
Election Newswire links to this letter in the
target="_blank">Guardian
which exactly echoes the analysis of the
Iraq is being denied free and fair elections, after enduring decades of
Saddam's brutal dictatorship. The US and British occupation governments have
engineered a process for reproducing the US-appointed Iraqi interim government
to prolong the occupation and incite sectarian and ethnic conflicts.
Millions of Iraqis, under siege in many parts of their homeland, will be
disenfranchised. While boycotting this undemocratic exercise, we strongly
condemn all forms of violence against Iraqis participating in it. We, as
exiles, are confident that the vast majority of Iraqis, at home and abroad,
shall unite to end the US-led occupation and establish democracy, whatever
their stance on participation.
We echo opinions within Iraq stressing the impossibility of holding free
and fair elections while under occupation, and being subjected to war crimes
by the US-led forces.
However, we support demands for minimal pre-conditions: setting a strict
timetable for the withdrawal of all occupation forces; ceasing all attacks,
and confining all occupation forces to barracks until withdrawal; ending
martial law and releasing all political prisoners; establishing an independent
election commission, led by Iraq's senior serving and retired judges, and
including all Iraq's political forces. It could be assisted by anti-occupation
figures, eg Nelson Mandela, and the UN. Sami Ramadani, Haifa Zangana, Prof
Kamal Majid, Tahrir Numan, Dr Imad Khaddur, iMundher Adhami, and 14
others.
The Nation
advocated exactly the same thing: that the US give up on the election as a
botched job and retreat from Iraq as quickly as possible confident that things
will work themselves out.
Therefore, for the sake of Iraq's future and the safety of our young men
and women, the United States must begin an orderly withdrawal, coordinated
with stepped-up US and international economic assistance. We recognize that
further violence and internal fighting among Iraqis may follow, but to believe
that a continuing US military presence can prevent this is naïve or
disingenuous; it will, rather, contribute to the instability. The best
long-term outcome is for Iraqis to regain control of their own country and
sort out their own future.
Those who may have hoped that 'insurgents' could somehow prevent the Iraqi
elections from taking place have given that up as a botched job and
fallen back on Plan B. The belated emergence of the 'elections are rigged' line,
only two weeks from the scheduled polls, are virtual admissions that they cannot
now be stopped. They can only be discredited. In all probability the new line
will be. 'So what if elections were held in Iraq. It's still illegitimate, etc.'
That sad thing about that is it will tend to immunize the elected candidates in
the eyes of American Conservatives and mask any real shortcomings they may have
in the turbulence of ideological conflict. That process has already done much to
deodorize 'insurgents' who, properly considered, are by any standard some of the
lowest sorts of snakes ever to slither in the dust.
That said, the 'elections are rigged' line is a masterpiece of irony. There
is oblique reference to 'millions of Iraqis, under siege' without identifying
the besiegers; it disenfranchises voters in Shi'ite and Kurdish Iraq, by making
their suffrage contingent upon the pleasure of their former Ba'athist masters.
It is in effect, an announcement of electoral results before the first vote has
been cast, which in a way, has the force of custom behind it. In
October, 2002
target="_blank">CNN
reported that Saddam had won 100 percent of votes in a referendum granting him
another seven year term. Now that was a peaceful and legitimate election.
Baghdad, Iraq -- Iraq has declared Saddam Hussein the winner with 100
percent of the votes in a referendum granting him another seven-year term,
bringing bursts of celebratory gunfire in Baghdad's streets. The
statistics-busting result were seen in Baghdad as a message of defiance to
U.S. President George W. Bush and his declared desire to end Saddam's 23-year
rule."Our leader President Saddam Hussein, may God preserve him and look
after him, has won 100 percent of the votes of eligible voters," said
Saddam's top deputy Izzat Ibrahim, reading official results at a news
conference in Baghdad. Saddam was the only candidate in the referendum ...
Ibrahim, vice-chairman of Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council, said all
11,445,638 Iraqis eligible to vote had done so and every single one of them
answered "Yes" to another seven-year term for Saddam, 65, who was
appointed president in 1979.
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