| A poor turnout by Iraqi expatriates enrolling to vote in the Iraqi election has prompted organisers to extend the registration period. In Australia only 6,500 expatriates have registered to vote from and estimated 50,000 people. Head of the program, Bernie Hogan says they will extend the registration period, which was to end tomorrow, for a further two days. "It's been a worldwide trend that there has been a disappointing lack of people registering in Australia and throughout the other 14 countries that are involved in the program," he said. "We've been reviewing that and trying to understand why and the message that keeps coming back to us is that it's a mixture of apathy and apprehension." "The apprehension comes form those people who are distrustful of any Government in Iraq, considering that they have had decade and decade of tyranny and abuse, that some people do not want to freely and willingly submit their name to any potential future government that may then victimise them." There are nine registration venues across Sydney, Melbourne and Shepparton in regional Victoria. Iraqis in other states and territories have complained that there are no registration venues in their vicinity. |