If the Sunni's Boycott the Vote In Iraq IS The Election Legit?

Iraq has set the date for thier elections. January 30th will be the day that Iraqi citizens go to the polls for the first time since Saddam Hussien was deposed. Escalating violence is a big problem, but now Sunni Clerics are calling for a boycott. If they do chose not to vote is the election legit?

IMHO yes, if given the oppurtunity to vote in nationwide election and they choose not to, too bad. Look at it this way. If all the Democrats chose not to vote November 2nd, would the elections still be legit? Yes. If the Sunni's chose to skip this part of democracy and end up having a Shiite representative then thems the breaks.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Well this one is going to be hard to answer shiite are the majority tribe in Iraq, somewhat they are more friendly also to the US.

Now been the sunni more clerical and the ones giving US most of the trouble, I imagine that US will care less if they vote or not.

After all because of their hostilities US wanted to skip their heavy populated areas any way.

If they are by pass in the elections I bet civil unrest between these tribes will erupt in Iraq.

Iraq should follow Australia example which is every person over the age of 18 has to vote by law unless a person is behind bars. This way there can be no doubt cast over the election if one ethinic groups voter turn out is much lower then the rest.
I think around 70-75% of people will vote in the January election voter turn out was high in Afghanistan despite the tailban.

I think you raise a good point. The elections would be valid if not everybody voted.

Then think about this. What if the elections don't go according to plan and a anti-us party is elected and tells U.S to get out. Will Bush then honour the request of democratically elected government?

How are they going to enforce a compulsory voting system in Iraq though? Here there is a small fine if you don't vote. How do you think the already pissed off and suffering Iraqi people would react to police turning up on their doorstep demanding they pay a fine for not voting?

Originally posted by Psychoses
Then think about this. What if the elections don't go according to plan and a anti-us party is elected and tells U.S to get out. Will Bush then honour the request of democratically elected government?

That is a good point. I think we would have no choice in the matter. The U.S. cannot go it alone and I think that even Brittan would take a hike in this type of scenario.

FredT you answered your own question correctly in your opening post. As for the sunni clerics calling for a boycott, well it seems like they expect to lose influence and plan to use the boycott as an excuse to escalate the violence after the election.

That's the problem with having clerics, rabbis, priests, shamans or witch doctors involved directly in politics - they end up pissing in everyone's nest when they don't get their way.

Hopefully, the elections will stick, and this will signal the beginning of the end of another murderous theocratic influence in the world. Those against the US involvement in Iraq need to ask themselves, and answer with honesty: Why is it that Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have such an interest in the affairs of Iraq?

Haha, an election in Iraq.

Vote between one puppet idiot or another puppet idiot.

GWB still remains the person who decides what happens overall in Iraq.

All we need is the spread of corporate government to Iraq..

[edit on 22-11-2004 by RedOctober90]

The US would never allow an anti-USA group to win the election.. the election won't be legit.. it's going to be controlled by the puppet masters.

Well, we can be sure of one thing: whatever the outcome, it won't be able to match Saddam's landslide victory of garnering 99.6% of the vote for president, even though he was the only candidate on the ballot.

The problem is, he never could explain that missing .4%.



.

Originally posted by jsobecky
Well, we can be sure of one thing: whatever the outcome, it won't be able to match Saddam's landslide victory of garnering 99.6%

Do not dare leave out the impressive voting record of Kim Jong Ill. Hes 100% all the time every day.

Originally posted by cargo
How are they going to enforce a compulsory voting system in Iraq though? Here there is a small fine if you don't vote. How do you think the already pissed off and suffering Iraqi people would react to police turning up on their doorstep demanding they pay a fine for not voting?

I dont think people would react to badly to being fined for not voting. How to enforce? Well you need an electoral roll to keep track of people and to prevent voter fraud. You dont need a policemen to enforce compulsory voting you need Officials working for a non government organisation (in Australia I think it is called the electoral commison) I hope I have made my ideas clear.

Scince when has the legitamcy of an election mattered? Look how much it mattered in the US elections..

Quote form Whitehouse sopkes person (concerning Chavez in Venezuela): "Just beacuse you have the majority of the vote doesn't make your government legitimate"

That's American Democracy (TM) (patent pending)

Originally posted by Corinthas
Scince when has the legitamcy of an election mattered? Look how much it mattered in the US elections..

Mate I hate to breake this to you but what Issues the American electoral system may have has no relvance to the Iraqi elecions! Somehow I doubt Iraq would adopt the American electoral system.

Originally posted by xpert11

Originally posted by Corinthas
Scince when has the legitamcy of an election mattered? Look how much it mattered in the US elections..

Mate I hate to breake this to you but what Issues the American electoral system may have has no relvance to the Iraqi elecions! Somehow I doubt Iraq would adopt the American electoral system.

Does anyone know exactly what sort of electoral voting system they intend to implement in Iraq? I've done a bit of searching on the subject but can't come up with any specific info, only that Jan 30 is the date they will be held.

Interesting to note: two Sunni clerics that have been promoting the vote boycott have been assasinated in the last two days. Coincidence? I think not!

www.abovetopsecret.com...