Votes are counted by lamp light

Jonathan Steele in Basra
Monday January 31, 2005
The Guardian

Slowly but surely the chalkmarks stretched across the blackboard, putting one thing beyond doubt after the first hour of counting. The prime minister, Ayad Allawi, and the alliance of religious parties were in a two-horse race to control Iraq's national assembly last night, at least among Shia voters.

No other party among the 111 on the ballot had more than a scattering of votes.

After a historic day of calm, orderly and enthusiastic voting, the counting process was equally impressive. At five o'clock sharp, as the sun was fading, they closed the doors of the Jumhuriya boys' primary school after one of the policemen who had been guarding the polling station hurried into the building to become the last person to cast his ballot

By then 90% of the 1,750 people registered to vote at the school had done so, according to Ali Mohammed Rahi, an independent electoral commission official.

Officials with the blue and white armbands of the IEC emptied the first ballot box and laid out the large ballot papers in piles of 25. Watched by monitors from various parties and several journalists, an elderly man drew columns on the board and chalked a mark up for each vote as the presiding officer called them out.

At 6pm there was a power cut and the lights went out. Two electric lanterns were found. By then the total for Allawi was 70 and for the United Iraqi Alliance, a combination of the biggest Shia Islamist parties, 59.

These Shia parties are all members of the prime minister's current government but his decision to run separately and put his personal reputation to the test appeared to be paying off handsomely. It also showed that secular and religious voters are very evenly split.

Among the few sounds to disturb the city's quiet were the shouts from boys enjoying a rare chance to play football on the smooth asphalt of the main roads. An occasional police car sounded its siren and a handful of fighter jets screamed overhead.

Voters stood patiently in line, rarely speaking except when addressed by re porters. "I voted for Allawi. He's secular. That's the most important thing for me," said a retired bank manager who graduated from Birmingham College of Commerce in the late 50s.

"We went for Allawi. I hope it will lead to progress and prosperity," said Sabeha Jibrai, a Christian who was queuing with his wife, Arshad. With uncovered hair, she stood out from the crowds of other women voters, many in long black abbayas, and all wearing headscarves.

No one interviewed by the Guardian in Basra de scribed their vote as a vote against terrorism or the insurgency. Most gave simple motives of patriotism or economic concern, or said they were celebrating the historic moment. "I'm voting because it's my duty. I hope it will help people," said a man of 75, who stumbled forward on a stick and his son's arm.

"This is just a first step towards change," said Hamza Abbas, a professor of Arab literature at Basra university. "It's not important to complete everything in one go. But you have to start somewhere."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1402249,00.html