Iraqi elections

[ciphergoth]

This goes through my head every time I read a headline about the eight million Iraqis who just voted, or the thousands in this country who cast a proxy vote.

Comments

[purplerabbits.livejournal.com]

The guardian says:
Iraqi election officials initially put turnout at 72% but later admitted it was a crude estimate and said perhaps 8 million out of Iraq's 14 million eligible voters had taken part, a turnout closer to 57%.

I wonder what makes you an 'eligible voter'...

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

Age, I think. Given that a good deal of the Sunni population was boycotting the election 57% translates into a pretty high percentage of the non Sunni population.

Getting the Sunni involved is going to be interesting, to say the least. Even not being part of the parliament they can influence the constitution by getting 2/3 of their population to vote to reject it (according to NPR just now). In the long run that would probably be a relatively good thing, and ensure that the minority don't get shafted.


(I shouldn't be on LJ at all today so if you reply I won't see it til evening...)

[narnee.livejournal.com]

Given that a good deal of the Sunni population was boycotting the election 57% translates into a pretty high percentage of the non Sunni population.

I haven't heard or seen figures for the Kurds or the Sunnis yet, but I did hear on BBC World Service last night that the turnout in most Shia areas met or exceeded 92%.