CAIRO, Jan 3: Iraqi Defence Minister Hazem al-Shaalan said on Monday that the elections scheduled for Jan 30 could be delayed if the Sunni community agreed to take part, in an interview with AFP.
“We have asked our Arab brothers, particularly in Egypt and Gulf countries, to get Iraqi Sunnis to participate in the elections and if such a participation requires a delay to the election date, they could be delayed,” said Mr Shaalan.
He said he was convinced “Washington would be happy that the election operation was comprehensive with the participation of all.” -AFP
Re: For the love of Sunnis_the upcoming elections in Iraq
Wow weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I guess I'll be seeing a jubilant Arab street with that tongue noise today on CNN if that happens. Big victory for sore loosers.
Re: For the love of Sunnis_the upcoming elections in Iraq
well, Pdesi, in my (humble opinion) I think this is a welcome development in that turbulent region. This was the best time for the shiites of Iraq to avenge themselves but to actually step forward and make such a proposal is indeed laudable. This is the best way to go about things , that is arriving at a decision through a consensus and this is what the US was there for__ to sow the seeds for participatory democracy.
Re: For the love of Sunnis_the upcoming elections in Iraq
What do you people think. Should the interim government go ahead with the proposed elections or should they pay heed to the demands of the Sunni leaders?
Sunni politician calls for delay in Iraq elections
LONDON: A senior Iraqi Sunni Muslim politician called on Saturday for the country’s elections to be put on hold, warning the results could be seen as illegitimate if large sections of the population don’t vote.
Adnan Pachachi, who was Iraq’s foreign minister before the 1968 Baathist coup and now heads the small Iraqi Independent Democrats party, told British Broadcasting Corp. radio that a delay could allow talks to be held with those who are refusing to take part in the elections.
“If they are going to be held on Jan. 30 without the participation of large segments of the Iraqi population and important areas of Iraq, the elections would be seen as non-inclusive and illegitimate,” Pachachi said
Re: For the love of Sunnis_the upcoming elections in Iraq
The elections have been delayed once, and the violence is worse, not better. Further delay will be perceived as a victory, and a vindication of the Sunnis tactics. Additionally, and importanly Sistani will not agree to delays.
There is no reason why another vote cannot be arranged for later, but Sunni rebels need to realize that Iraq is going ahead with or without them....
The only remaining option is civil war, if Sunnis take away the rights of the majority.
Re: For the love of Sunnis_the upcoming elections in Iraq
First of all, what has the Defence Minister got to do with elections? Only the relevant persons should be making such statements about election delays and what not. It is a common malice in hodge podge governments that everyone tries to be everything, and this is usually a recipe for disaster, as two different ministers may be taking two completely different positions on a single issue.
Secondly, Iraqi interim government will be better off looking at their own President, who is a sunni, to get Iraqi sunnis to the ballot box, rather than at foreign countries.
