Iraq Certifies Election Results

Iraq Forum

Thursday, February 17, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's electoral commission Thursday certified the results of the country's Jan. 30 elections and allocated 140 National Assembly seats to the United Iraqi Alliance, giving the Shiite-dominated party a majority in the new parliament.

The certification sets the stage for the first meeting of the National Assembly, which will have 10 months to draft a new constitution.

The assembly's first order of business will be to elect a president and two vice presidents to largely ceremonial positions. The assembly then will approve a prime minister nominated by the president and vice presidents.

The Shiite-led alliance's majority in the assembly had been expected, based on projections from the final results announced Sunday. The clergy-backed ticket won 48 percent of the vote and the Kurdish alliance received 26 percent of the vote, giving it 75 seats. Prime Minister Ayad Allawi (search), a secular Shiite who supported strong ties to Washington, won 14 percent.

A redistribution of the votes from the 99 parties that did not win enough support to get parliament seats gave the Shiite alliance control of more than half of the assembly's 275 seats, even though they received slightly less than half the vote.

It appeared only 12 party groupings would take seats.

Even though the United Iraqi Alliance (search) has a majority of seats in the assembly, it still needs partners. For example, a two-thirds majority is needed to select a president and two vice presidents, who will in turn choose a prime minister to run the day-to-day government.

The current appointed government will now set a date for installing the new elected government. There has been no indication of how long that might take, and the timeframe will depend on back-room dealmaking among the parties.

The certified results were announced after a deadline to file complaints expired Wednesday. Farid Ayar, a spokesman for the election commission, told Al-Arabia television that 47 complaints were filed and most of them were resolved.

Carlos Valenzuela, the chief U.N. election expert in Iraq, said the elections results "exceeded our expectations."

Top Shiite politicians have agreed to choose their nominee for prime minister through a secret ballot, expected to take place Friday, to decide a two-man race between Ibrahim al-Jaafari (search) and Ahmad Chalabi (search).

The contrast between the two candidates is stark and reveals a division within the clergy-endorsed alliance, made up of 10 major political parties and various allied smaller groups.

Al-Jaafari, 58, is the leader of the religious Dawa Party (search), one of Iraq's oldest parties, known for its popularity and close ties to Iran. Although al-Jaafari is a moderate, his party's platform is conservative.

Chalabi, 58, who left Iraq as a teen, leads the Iraqi National Congress (search) and had close ties to the Pentagon before falling out of favor last year after claims he passed intelligence information to Iran.

A secular Shiite, Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress is an umbrella for groups that included Iraqi exiles, Kurds and Shiites. Much of the intelligence his group supplied on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction programs failed to pan out.

Al-Jaafari was considered the leading contender Wednesday, though Chalabi's aides said their man had enough votes to win.

A close aide to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani (search), the spiritual leader of Iraq's Shiite Muslims, said the alliance's leaders will visit the grand ayatollah's office in Najaf to get his blessing for their choice. In the event they cannot agree, al-Sistani will make the final decision, the aide said.

Kurdish parties have apparently agreed to support the alliance's candidate for prime minister in return for the largely ceremonial presidency. But officials said they would not accept a theocratic government.

"We will reject and we won't allow the establishment of a theocratic state; we want separation between religion and state," said Noshirwan Mustafa, an aide to Jalal Talabani (search), the Sunni Kurd and leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (search) who is expected to become president.

Well Shiite howdy, them Iraqi's elected a president. And they have a autonomous military presence watching their every move, free of charge.

-HECK!

Heck, yeah.

I wonder if the Sunni people are just mentally deficient or something? How can they expect to help lead or rule when they shoot themselves in both feet?

Boycot the elections so you have no say, then murder to get a say. Maybe it's all or nothing with these ignorant people?

I have yet to hear a rational explanation as to why an Iraqi election helps... anyone.

-HECK!

Free elections are one of the most cherished and important practices of a democracy.

Class dismissed, children.


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Elections under the guise of a larger agenda. Class dismissed, sheep.

-HECK!

http://www.inreview.com/showthread....=371#post544742

http://www.lucianne.com/images/Lucianne40.jpg

Iraq: This election is a sham

http://argnet.fatal-design.com/gfx/photos/nature/sheep/Sheep2003-05-19-1-small.jpg

http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Whats%20New/CurlyJoe-pic.jpg

Pictures are fun!

-HECK!

The Iraqi people are the beneficieries of democracy. Say it now, children… DEMOCRACY. For the first time ever, and with the guidance of the greatest democracy in the history of the world, they have the freedom to do with the gift of free will what they see fit.

Nothing you can do about it, children.

But pounding sand keeps your bodies and minds busy… everyone needs a hobby.


http://www.lucianne.com/images/Lucianne40.jpg

Yes, free elections are nice.
There hasn't been a free election in the USA since 1996.
And now the world is to believe in "free elections."
I am sure the USSR said they had free elections too.

Ask good ol' boy Ollie North about "free" elections in Central America during the 70's and 80's... He would have alot to say, if he could remember from all the brainwashing....

If having a "free election" makes a country democratic (the USA doesn't even have a "democratic" government) who cares?
Is that it?

Sham election or no...it does bring hope to the Iraqi people that they now have others helping them to achieve freedom in their lifetimes.

The terrorists don't think it's a sham—they take it very seriously. Democracy is something that the terrorists see as threatening—and that's alright by me.

See, beck… give 'em an inch… and they're off and running. I used to have a terrier that was the same way. Couldn't let that bugger off the leash outdoors for a minute.

SWTT...really does not mean what she says. At least that's what I believe.

She is immersed in The New World Order Thesis.

I give her leeway. But ICB....a different story. I have no idea what he stands for. All I see is what he is against.

If you are at a board meeting and you present a corporate problem it is wise that you also bring a solution.....or you won't be there much longer.

I got a solution.

Bring back all the patents for alternative energy source technology that have been squashed by oil, automotive and energy companies.....
so we can get the heck out of the fossil fuel mentality.
Come up with alternative energy technologies, and companies that manufacture them...isn't that the American dream people?
Then we won't have to pillage countries for oil and shake hands with the devil.
Also our need for gas guzzling SUV's and bigger homes bigger homes bigger homes. Aren't we ever satisfied with what we have? It's always more more more bigger bigger bigger.


It's insane that we have to rely on opec countries when we have the brainpower to put a solution into place.....but, unfortunately, the PTB's, powers that be make too frickin' much money from oil to allow us to get out of this rat hole....

ARGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! The insanity of it all!!!!!!!!!!

And like they tell me at work all the time....you're thinking too clearly, that's not allowed here. People would rather suffocate in fossil fuel fumes and play GI Joe than embrace change. Idiots.

Yes, insanity sounds about right.

What's your solution CJ?
More of the same? Kill. Torture. Maim.
Conquer in the "name" of democracy?
That's frickin insane, and its so sad you cannot even see that.

Don't get me wrong, I am glad the Iraqi people have 'freedom', but for us, the ends do not justify the means.

-HECK!

If I am being chastised and ridiculed because I have faith in what our President is trying to accomplish, than so be it.

I am proud to support our forward thinking Administration.

I am neither a republican nor democrat. However I do believe Bush is doing the right things to preserve our future.

Yeah, Becker, these are just opinions.
Everyone has one just some stink worse than others. ribbing ya.

Thanks for your comment, Heck. I have always supported and liked you.

Political opinions should be banned from all forums. All it does is create enmity and chaos.

I think I will stick to my idiotic postings that cannot make sense to anyone..including me.http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/u/angel.gif

I totally agree, that's why I wanted to make sure everything was cool. I wasn't aiming anything at you.

I'm telling you, Political and Religious forums will always wreak havoc.

It's all good though bro

-HECK!

I think the political threads and Religious ones will always be fiery if we as members are really into what is going on in our world then we should be able to take as well as give.

I really don't mind it,in fact its a relief from some of the threads that are for nothing. Not you Beck I love your Retard and I writing its pure Genius.
D

The trouble is one's politics are rooted deeply in who one is and in what/who one fundamentally believes. It's all but impossible to be swayed.

In that sense, it's all but pointless to argue and debate.

Particularly, it's absurd and futile when the liberals/democrats/Bush-bashers/Europissts criticize the American conservative majority who support Bush and to dismiss them as brainless sheep. That's a fundamental reason why the Dems cannot win elections. They don't get it—and I doubt that they will anytime soon. Look who they just picked as their chairman… Heeeaaarghhhh!!!

They have another four years of belly-aching and pounding sand.

Wow!! Thats nice talking to a lady ICB.

I feel you should be more a leader in deciding what we as nation should do to take our reputation and make it sparkle.
You know thats impossible.

and news for you, I don't agree with everything we as a nation do and have said so. but you like to say negatives so much I got so caught up sweetie,in your rhetoric. SCUSE ME But don't think it solves anything by using bad language on me as it is a reflection on your self Darlin

You are not debating you are angry with me for telling you where to go in a nice way. Not your way.

I am waiting for an apology.
D