On December 15th, 2005, Parliamentary Elections are scheduled to take place in Iraq. The elections are not being held in accordance with international standards of fairness; Several candidates have already been assassinated or attacked, and most of the 7000 or so cannot come out in public or they would be killed, too. Citing security fears, Iraq's electoral committee said a limited number of international observers, mainly staffers of foreign embassies will oversee the voting. In a sign of likely fraud, hundreds of thousands of blank ballots like those to be used in this week's Iraqi elections have been found on a tanker truck which entered the country from neighboring Iran.
On Sunday, December 10, the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq called for a halt to military offensives, especially in predominantly Sunni areas, to ensure the smooth running of legislative elections, one day after it came under a scathing criticism from Sunni leaders. Former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party are now urging Sunnis to vote in Thursday's poll and warning al-Qaida fighters not to launch attacks. "Former Baathists opposed to the US presence in Iraq, such as Falluja resident Jassim Abu Bakr, are still fiercely opposed to US-backed leaders, and say any Sunni politicians who move too close to them will lose their support."

The highest spiritual authority for Iraqi Shiites, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani of Najaf, has urged Iraqis to participate in the elections. In a communique issued by his office, Sistani added, "These elections are just as important as the preceding ones, and citizens--both male and female-- must participate in them on a wide scale in order to guarantee a big and powerful presence for those who will safeguard their verities and work energetically for their higher interests in the next parliament." He also warned them against splitting or wasting their vote, essentially endorsing the United Iraqi Alliance, which contains most of the religious Shiite candidates. More

Salam Pax reports: "I have to admit, it is pretty confusing. We Iraqis went from absolutely no elections for 30 years to having to vote three times within an eleven-month period. I tell you, we’re exhausted. ... On the street there doesn’t seem to be much interest in the elections either. You just don’t feel the spark. Last year newspapers dedicated large sections to debating democracy and the elections. Television stations had endless programmes about the same issues. It was all so exciting. These days the Iraqi media is a bit more distracted - torture allegations at the ministry of interior and a big meeting in Cairo - and the people are just plain tired of listening to the same promises all over again. Within a year we've gone from being excited to cynical. A note for future “democracy advancing projects” around the world: fast-tracking democracy means you also fast-track political apathy."
The World Socialist Website reports: "Predictably, the Bush administration has told the American people that the elections in Iraq tomorrow will be a democratic milestone for both the country and the broader Middle East. The truth is that they will only produce greater conflict between the country’s main religious and ethnic groups, intensified social and class tensions and greater hostility among the Iraqi people toward the US-led occupation forces."
Riverbend reports on Baghdad Burning: "We’ve been flooded with election propaganda this last week. Every Iraqi channel you turn to is showing one candidate or another. Allawi, Hakim and a handful of others dominate the rest though. No one is bothering much with the other lists because quite frankly, no one hears of them that often. Allawi’s face is everywhere, as is Hakim’s turbaned head. It’s disconcerting to scan a seemingly innocent wall and have a row of identical Hakims smiling tightly down on you.... The last press conference I watched of Hakim was a few days ago. He was warning his followers of electoral fraud, which is slightly ironic considering his group has been accused of all sorts of fraud this last year. The audience was what caught my interest. The women were sitting on one side of the audience and the men were sitting on the other side, the sexes separated by a narrow aisle. The women all wore black abbayas and headscarves. It could have been a scene out of Teheran."

Early voting begins in Iraq | Mosul Blanketed in Sunni Banners Ahead of Polls | Vote could unite or fragment Iraq | Emigrants vote in Iraq elections | Iraqis Gear Up for Elections | Four more US soldiers killed as Iraq edges towards elections | Iraq shuts down for Thursday's vote | Kirkuk a Key Election Issue for Kurds