The Washington Post: a “special ballot” without violence victory. . But he will not give Maliki third term
The Washington Post: a “special ballot” without violence victory. . But he will not give Maliki third term
16/04/2013 (23:01 pm)
Translation term
Even the dead are not immune to the upcoming local election campaign in Iraq. Banners with bright colors cover the main streets hung around the vast cemetery in the holy city of Najaf, which attracts hundreds of visitors who pass by every day.
And will vote the twentieth of April to the first provincial election since the U.S. withdrawal in December 2011. Although the federal election positions, such as the prime minister and parliament is not scheduled until next year, the provincial elections will be an important test of the political bloc of Prime Minister. On Saturday, the police and army personnel time early ballot in the special voting for security forces. He says the student – a policeman vote for the first time in a school in Baghdad, surrounded by extensive protection “I’m looking for a real change, this is the first election rely entirely on ourselves to manage and protect the electoral process.”
Results will be an important criterion to support the various political blocs before national elections to be held in 2014. It is not unlikely that Maliki is seeking to a third term in next year despite the accusations of his opponents dictatorship.
And will be violence-free vote a victory in itself for the police and military personnel who are facing armed actions carried out by al-Qaeda, where insurgents are trying to make sure that their words heard in the run-up to the ballot; were killed at least 13 candidates so far.
And compete in this election more than eight thousand candidates from dozens of electoral blocs, including small parties unknown. In the holy city of Najaf fierce rivalry appears clearly between the blocks, where attached posters of candidates in the narrow areas between the graves and shrines walls are crowded out by the cemetery.
Some voters, including retired staff Haider Kazim – 46 years old – that this act offends taste as it days before he had to pass through the posters during the burial of a relative “even the dead have become a part of this electoral farce,” he adds, “We know that those who are competing In these elections, but dragging behind huge salaries and privileges and are seeking a share of government contracts, and the last thing they think is to end the suffering of the people in their provinces. ” The popular anger of poor public services and corruption and lack of employment opportunities, common in all parts of the country; Many cities, including the capital Baghdad lacks power and suffers from ongoing crumbling streets and dilapidated sewage systems.
And local councils grappling with the country’s leaders in Baghdad on how to spend the funds allocated for the development of the provinces, where they always complain restricted restrictions issued by the central government on how to spend these funds.
And make no progress decade after the U.S. invasion a lot of voters do not care about these elections, if not ridicule them.
: The Washington Post
almadapaper.net
