Iraqi Election Announcement From Baghdad

Iraqi Election Results Announced

Baghdad, Iraq

In a packed and chaotic press conference in a central Baghdad hotel the Iraqi Election Commission announced the results of recent local elections.

Initial results showed a strong showing for the party of Prime Minister Maliki who received approximately 38% of the vote in Baghdad followed by lesser showings by the Sadr party and an apparent tie between a Sunni Party and the party of the secular former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.

"They voted for security" said one independent womens activist, "those elected were those that instead of just talking have actually reduced the violence.

In addition, I feel that this election, at least from the initial results is much more pragmatic and much less idealogical than the previous one.

I think we have made some progress from the more radical islamist agenda". Former Minister of Migration, and Assyrian Christian, Pascale Warda herself in Nineveh Province, said "We have seen some major problems in our community.

We are being told by our people that in Nineveh and Baghdad only about 30% were allowed to vote.

We feel there has been a clear pattern of voter intimidation and interference in the voting itself, with people coming to the voting offices and being told their names are not on the lists.

We are currently investigating these reports, but we are not surprised as this is what happened at the last election as well."

While the election itself was well observed and appeared to go technically much better than before, observers have noted that the fundamental problem is that with one exception all members of the election commission are in fact Islamists and are feared to be operating the election with idealogical and religious biases.

"I ran to become a member of the election during the time of Paul Bremer under the CPA but remain puzzled to this day that it was only Islamists that were allowed on the commission". said the female activist.

In spite of passionate denials by those who worked on the elections, most Iraqis see things quite simply.

They look to see if the women have their heads covered by the Hijab islamic head covering. The Womens Activist continued

"When I left Iraq in the 1980s no women ever covered their head with the islamic head covering.

Now nearly 60% or more do so.

This is a very troubling development for those of us who look forward to a secular, open and freedom loving society."

The only two women on the panel had very tight and complete islamic head coverings sending the message to all Iraqis who watched the election results that the goverment for all the progress both technically and politically, is still firmly in the hands of islamists.

Ironically International support staff could be seen helping to put on the election announcement from running the projections to giving out information on the election itself.

"This has been the fundamental problem" said the activist.

"It has been this interference by the international community, not in support of a stable, secular, what we would consider a modern government, but their strong support as you could see today for this islamist agenda.

It is very curious and strange and has harmed the desire of iraqis for a secular, civil state" she continued.

In fact, many educated Iraqis in particular fault former CPA head Paul Bremer for not being able to understand the strong desire of Iraqis for a secular, civil state and instead pushing for a strong islamic government.

"The British have a Christian Constitution, the Iraqis are moslem they should have a moslem constitution" at his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a comment that angers many of the forward looking Iraqis.

"We are deeply concerned that it appears that the islamists with their enablers in the international community have influence the election idealogically to push their agenda and the reports we are currently investigating that only 30% of the Assyrian Christian community were able to vote, appears to confirm this.

" The mass pandemonium that broke out in the announcement hall even as the announcements were being made and the near brawl that erupted as the members of the Election Commision lead by tightly veiled and extremely grim faced islamist Hamdiya Aihasan tried to leave, were testimony that while some progress has been made, there is a long way to go.

Ken Joseph Jr.