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| Iraq-Jordan | |
| Iraqi Candidates Take Democracy Seminar | |
| 2004-12-12 | |
| KUWAIT CITY (AP) - About 100 candidates for Iraq's first popular election in decades traveled to Kuwait on Saturday for a seminar about the democratic process. The men and women were bused from the southern Iraqi city of Basra for the two-day event organized by Denmark's government. Two of the candidates are running for the national assembly, while the rest are candidates for local offices. The candidates will attend lectures by experts from the United Nations and Denmark about Iraq's election law, the role of political parties, campaigning and how the vote will be conducted. ``The Iraqi people are new to democracy, and they are thirsty for it and for freedom,'' said Sayyed Dagher al-Moussawi, one of two men running for an assembly seat in the group. He said the seminar was important because ``freedom came to Iraq with chaos and not gradually.'' The national assembly created by the Jan. 30 elections will pick a new president and two vice presidents, who will then select a prime minister. Its main task is to draw up a constitution, which - if adopted in a referendum next year - would form the legal basis for another general election to be held by Dec. 15, 2005. Iraqis also will elect local officials Jan. 30. Geography teacher Khadeeja Mishkel Moussawi, running for a seat on the Basra council, said Iraqis wanted a ``legitimate government.'' ``Children, men and women support the elections,'' said Moussawi, dressed in an Iranian-style black robe and head cover that shielded part of her face. ``The (U.S.-appointed) interim government has become an excuse for saboteurs,'' the 37-year-old candidate said.
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| Posted by:Steve White |