Posted on 01/20/2005 9:16:57 AM PST by MikeEdwards
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 19, 2005 – As coalition and Iraqi forces continue to kill and capture insurgents bent on disrupting or preventing Iraq's national assembly election, a new poll shows Iraqis overwhelmingly believe it's important for them to cast their ballots Jan. 30.
According to a public opinion survey in Iraq taken in early January, more than 90 percent of Iraqis believe it is important to vote in the election. A total of 82.9 percent said it was "very important," and 9.4 percent said it was "somewhat important."
The breakdown along religious lines shows 70.1 percent of Sunnis listing very important and 15.9 percent listing somewhat. A total of 86 percent of Sunnis, therefore, believe the election is important to the future of Iraq.
Sunnis make up about 20 percent of Iraq's population. They were the dominant group under the former regime. Some Sunni groups have called for Sunnis to boycott the election, but this poll seems to show that the calls are not effective.
In Shiia communities – the largest in Iraq, with about 60 percent of the population – 91.1 percent believe the election is very important and 5.5 percent say it is somewhat important. Shiia leader Grand Ayatollah Sistani has called on all Shiia to vote in the election. He has a slogan, "Vote or Die" that has struck a chord with the Shiia population.
The survey contacted almost 2,000 Iraqis from all parts of the country. An Iraqi company conducted the poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus three points. . . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...
Funny how I didn't see a big story on this in today's "The Washington Post".
Pity.
Gunga Dan missed it too.
Hmmmmm . . . The Grand Ayatolla and Snoop Doggy Dog. Separated at birth.
Come now, we don't know who conducted this poll, how may people were sampled, or the methodology used.
If the Washington Post didn't comission the poll, they don't believe the results.
Christiane Amanpour just reported from Baghdad that people there are wondering when Bush will fulfill his words to them. She described an Iraq in chaos. She also muddied the distinction between Sunnis who will be boycotting the election and those who will not vote because of danger or other compelling reasons.
Wolf Blitzer thought Christiane provided a good "reality check" to Bush's speech.
Ari Fleischer said her opinion does not agree with that of many who are serving over there and he'd be interested in knowing who is right. He also said it will take some time to make things all right in Iraq.
It may never happen, no matter what we do.
Or it may work if we convince the bombers that we will stay as long as it takes.
What a tense and grim gamble!
True, things could go wrong. And Kerry could have been elected.
"Ari Fleischer said her opinion does not agree with that of many who are serving over there and he'd be interested in knowing who is right."
I wonder if CNN will report the Iraqi voter turn out if it's higher or even close to US voter turn out. I would like to see the breakdown of turn out: American Minority(Hispanics) vs. Iraqi Minority(Sunnis) in term of voter turn out.
Holtz
JefferonRepublic.com
Good question.
As an aside, I think that some of us folks in the US value our right to vote a little more than we did before we got involved with people who had been denied that right.
I know I thought about the voters in Afghanistan and Iraq, around the time I went to vote.
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