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| Iraq-Jordan |
| In the Marshes Islamists lose elections, commies win some |
| 2004-04-11 |
| EFL - a week ago in the Guardian Herded into lines by inexperienced police officers, hundreds of would-be Iraqi voters ...Deep in the marshlands of the Euphrates, the town of 15,000 people was the first to rise against Saddam Hussein in the abortive intifada of 1991. Now it was holding the first genuine election in its history.... the results have been surprising. Seventeen towns have voted, and in almost every case secular independents and representatives of non-religious parties did better than the Islamists.... In Shatra, a town of 250,000, the Communist party [probably they somewhat resemble the EU socialist type parties] won four seats and independents seven... The Islamists had a majority in the former council which was appointed last summer. After the election they were cut back to four seats out of 15. "It was not a surprise," said Jalil Abed Jafar, a doctor, in the Communist party’s upstairs offices along the waterfront... |
| Posted by:mhw |
| #7 Mike, good point; also a vote for the Communists may also be a vote against tribal chiefs |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-04-11 11:42:43 AM |
| #6 If my memory doesn't fail me Iraq's communist party supported (although in a grudging way) operation Iraqui Freedom. Anyone has fainted? |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-04-11 1:32:20 PM |
| #5 You know, this puts the last two weeks' events in Iraq in a whole new light. The people we appointed for the council all lost; we may have grossly erred in thinking that the Iraqis wanted to choose between Sistani and Sadr as who wanted to run the country. |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2004-04-11 1:16:04 PM |
| #4 Really interesting! |
| Posted by: Phil B 2004-04-11 11:46:07 AM |
| #3 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: mhw TROLL 2004-04-11 11:42:43 AM |
| #2 What's really distinctive about Communists in Moslem societies is that Communists are openly athiest. I think that the voters are not voting so much for Communist economics as they are voting for Communist athiesm. |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-04-11 11:40:33 AM |
| #1 Jeez, you know it's bad when you're relieved the Commies did well. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-04-11 11:27:52 AM |