Iraqi Elections: An Exercise in Futility?

Posted on September 24, 2004

If you think the current U.S. presidential elections are confusing, with all the contradictory poll numbers, dueling attack ads and Rathergate, wait until you hear what's supposed to happen in Iraq. The timing of the election and who will be allowed to vote seems to depend on who's doing the talking.

President Bush said, "They're going to have elections in January in Iraq. When America gives its word, America will keep its word. We'll stand with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq." [9/22/04, Remarks by the President at Victory 2004 Rally, Latrobe, Pennsylvania] Ok, that's a noble goal...but as I understand it, there are a number of "no-go" zones in Iraq, such as the cities of Falluja, Tikrit, Samarra, Ramadi and Sadr City, where the insurgents and local militias are in total control and the violence is so bad that American troops aren't even allowed to go there. So, if we can't even get in there, then how are the U.N. Elections officials supposed to go there? And how are ordinary citizens supposed to get to the polls without being shot or beheaded?

On September 21 in Lansing, Michigan, Vice-president Cheney said that it would be up to the Iraqis to decide whether to hold elections. �First of all, I'll be happy to pass along the message. I will see Mr. Allawi, as I mentioned, on Thursday -- both in the Congress, and then he'll come to the White House for a meeting with the President and myself. He has indicated repeatedly that he wants to keep that January deadline. We agree wholeheartedly. It's important to remember this is an Iraqi decision.� Ok, so it's not our decision, it's their decision. I get that. And everyone gets to vote, right?

No, not right. Secretary Rumsfeld says that everyone doesn't need to vote in free elections -- maybe 3/4 to 4/5 of Iraq could have elections and that would be fine. �Let�s pretend hypothetically that you get to election time in January and lets pretend that its roughly like it is, or a little worse, which it could be, because you�ve got to expect it to continue. They�re not happy the way its going. They don�t want a government elected in that country�badly, they don�t want that. And let�s say you try to have an election and you could have it in three-quarters or four-fifths of the country, but some places you couldn�t because the violence was too great. So be it. Nothing is perfect in life. So you have election that�s not quite perfect.� [Donald Rumsfeld, Senate testimony 9/23/04]

Now wait just a minute. How can a country be a democracy and have free elections when only 3/4 of the country gets to vote? That's absurd. Does anyone really think that the insurgents are going to recognize a government that their city didn't even get to vote on? In a speech before a joint meeting of Congress, even Prime Minister Allawi conceded that any Iraqi elections "may not be perfect, may not be the best elections that Iraq will ever hold" and "won't be the end of the journey toward democracy." This guy has a talent for understatement that is truly remarkable. And he seems to be forgetting the powerful Muslim Clerics' opinions -- something one can't afford to forget in Iraq. Abdul Salam Al Qubesi of the Sunni Clerics Association told The New York Times, "We think the elections will be fake." So what does the U.S. State Deparment have to say?

"We're going to have an election that is free and open and that has to be open to all citizens. It's got to be our best effort to get it into troubled areas as well," [Richard Armitage, House testimony, 9/24/04] Hmmm... so the State Department (run by Colin Powell) says elections must be open to all citizens. That's what I thought. So where does that leave us?

In a statement issued today, Senator John Edwards said: �The administration�s credibility on Iraq collapsed today. Over the past 24 hours, the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of State have all contradicted each other on elections in Iraq. For a President who is fond of saying we should not send mixed messages � you need a scorecard today to keep up with all the different and contradictory statements from the White House....[this] administration just can�t seem to tell the truth when it comes to Iraq.�

Just wait until the Iraqis see a butterfly ballot.