Iraqis on Point for Election; Turnout Expected to Rise

American Forces Press Service ^ | Dec 10, 2005 | Jim Garamone

[SandRat]

BAGHDAD, Dec. 10, 2005 – Iraqi forces have the lead in providing security for national elections Dec. 15, officials said here today. This is a huge job, military and embassy officials said on background. Some 230,000 Iraqi soldiers and police will provide security for more than 6,500 election sites and polling centers in the nation. The election will select members of the first permanent democratic government in Iraq's history. More than 3,800 people are running for office, officials said. They can run as individuals or as members of parties, and parties may be connected to larger coalitions.

Iraqi airwaves are filled with campaign ads, and many are quite sophisticated, a translator at the embassy said. Others are less so.

A "war of the posters" also is raging on walls and security barriers in Baghdad. In many places one candidate's posters are papered over by those for another candidate. In other places, the name of the candidate is ripped off. Officials said that in some isolated cases, police are putting up the posters. "We tell them they can't do that, but they are new to this and many are swept up in the excitement," an embassy official said.

In Baghdad alone 1,075 election sites contain 1,350 polling centers. Officials explained that some sites have more than one polling center.

While officials will not detail exactly how Iraqi forces will maintain security at polling centers, they do say they will follow the general outline that was successful in January National Assembly elections and the October constitutional referendum.

This includes a "ring system" of defense. Iraqi police will provide security for the inner ring, the area closest to the polling places. The second ring also will consist of Iraqi soldiers or special police battalions. They will set up checkpoints and conduct searches before allowing citizens to proceed to polling sites.

Beyond this is a third ring consisting of some Iraqi army battalions and coalition forces. This is a quick reaction force ready to ride in if Iraqi security forces on the inner rings encounter something they cannot handle. "We will be there if we are needed," a U.S. military official said. "I don't think we will be (needed). We weren't in October or January, and the Iraqi forces were a lot less capable then."

As part of security measures, Iraqi officials will temporarily halt all vehicular traffic near polling places and stop travel between provinces.

Embassy officials expect more voters this election than came out for the constitutional referendum. Only 40 percent of voters in Anbar province voted in the October election, which was up from only 4 percent who voted in January. Officials here and in Anbar expect that number to rise.

Also, voter turn out in the Shiia Arab provinces in southern Iraq was lower than expected in October. "Part of this was the confidence that the referendum was going to pass," a senior embassy official said. "The Shiia realize how important this election is, and they will go to the polls in force."

Iraqi election officials have added polling sites throughout the country. In the Baghdad region, officials added 46 polling centers, mostly in outlying areas. In January, some Iraqis walked 11 miles to reach a polling place in Baghdad. While this complicates an already complicated security situation, it probably will increase turn out.

Overall, officials said, as many as 10 million Iraqis may vote on Dec. 15. "This is not a bad turnout when you consider we had only 54 percent of registered voters turn out for the presidential election in 2004, and no one was shooting at them," a senior military official said.

[SandRat]

Ohhhhhhh,.... this is gonna turn out nice!!!!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Looks like Howard Dean's called another victory.

[DougJ]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. This is just the sort of good news about Iraq that the MSM never reports. I hope that everyone here supports the Iraqis and their fledgeling democracy by wearing a purple finger on Thursday December 15. It's only a few days a way.

It is truly moving -- as well as exciting -- watching a country take baby steps towards the world of freedom and democracy. Freedom is on the march!

[Calpernia]

Iraqi forces have the lead in providing security for national elections Dec. 15, officials said here today. This is a huge job, military and embassy officials said on background. Some 230,000 Iraqi soldiers and police will provide security for more than 6,500 election sites and polling centers in the nation. The election will select members of the first permanent democratic government in Iraq's history. More than 3,800 people are running for office, officials said. They can run as individuals or as members of parties, and parties may be connected to larger coalitions.

Iraqi airwaves are filled with campaign ads, and many are quite sophisticated, a translator at the embassy said. Others are less so.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[smoothsailing]

This is looking real good!

IRAQI FREEDOM BUMP!

[freedom4me]

Here's a link to an AP story about the fact that the Sunnis have threatened Zarqawi and al Queda NOT to attack on election day. Here are a few excerpts:

Saddam Hussein loyalists who violently opposed January elections have made an about-face as Thursday's polls near, urging fellow Sunni Arabs to vote and warning al Qaeda militants not to attack.

"In a move unthinkable in the bloody run-up to the last election, guerrillas in the western insurgent heartland of Anbar province say they are even prepared to protect voting stations from fighters loyal to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al Qaeda in Iraq."

"...election campaign posters dominate buildings in the rebel strongholds of Ramadi and nearby Falluja, where Sunnis staged a boycott or were too scared to vote last time around."

"We want to see a nationalist government that will have a balance of interests. So our Sunni brothers will be safe when they vote," said Falluja resident Ali Mahmoud, a former army officer and rocket specialist under Saddam's Baath party.

"Sunnis should vote to make political gains. We have sent leaflets telling al Qaeda that they will face us if they attack voters."

The shift is encouraging for Washington, which hopes to draw Sunni Arabs into peaceful politics in order to defuse the insurgency.


Quagmire, indeed!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051211/wl_nm/iraq_election_insurgents_dc_1

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[RottiBiz]

Thanks, Calpernia.

Have my purple ink ready to show solidarity with the Free Iraqis.