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By tbt* staff and wire reports
Published January 28, 2005
Historical: Iraqis are about to vote in their first free election in more than 50 years, dating to when 125,000 people voted for King Faisal II, a young pro-Western monarch later killed in a coup.
Why we care: If there is a good turnout Sunday (1/30), it will indicate that Iraqis are ready for democracy and that could mean the start of true democratic reform throughout the Arab world, according to St. Petersburg Times senior correspondent Susan Taylor Martin. But these elections could also be disastrous if a large number of people don't vote and/or there is a great deal of violence.
Not American-style: The election won't be like anything Americans are used to, with about 19,000 Iraqis seeking public office. There are 111 parties.
The vote: Each voter will be given two paper ballots: one for the 275-member National Assembly and the other for provincial legislatures. Voters will choose parties rather than individuals, with the number of candidates seated from each party determined by the party's percentage of votes nationwide.
The assembly's role: The Transitional National Assembly will elect a mostly ceremonial president and two deputy presidents, who in turn will name a prime minister and Cabinet.
Key groups: These are some of the groups and their candidates you'll hear about: United Iraqi Alliance (Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim, Ahmad Chalabi); The Iraqi List (Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi); Iraqis Party (Interim President Ghazi al-Yawer); Kurdish Alliance List (Massoud Barzani); and The People's Union (Hamid Majid Moussa).
Who is likely to win? Since the Shiite Muslims form about 60 percent of the population, parties representing them are likely to win the most seats. These parties have united in the United Iraqi Alliance.
When will we know results? Initial results are expected within hours after voting ends, but the final tally will not be known for a week to 10 days.
Do it again: The new government will remain in office for 11 months. If voters approve the draft constitution, new national elections will take place in December.
- Sources: Associated Press, the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, the United Nations
[Last modified January 26, 2005, 14:39:01]
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