The Results of the Iraq Elections from people living outside Iraq are now available.
Margaret Thatcher introduced a system whereby people who have left the UK could vote in UK elections so that is not unique.
In the UK 28,673 people voted. 62% of those voted for list 130. I have a real struggle reading the arabic script, but I think the name of the party is something about not occupying and Kurdistan (I think the last word is Kurdistan or something like that).
19% voted for list 169 which is the main Shi'a list. In the US 32% voted for the main Shi'a list, but only 4% for Allawi's list (5% voted for Allawi in the UK).
This may shock the US State Department. The US State Department totally misunderstand the situation. The evidence of the election result is that in a secret ballot 32% of Iraqis living and working in the US have voted for a list that wants the withdrawal of occupying forces.
I cannot find an easy source of information as to which list is what and it takes me too long to translate the Arabic and work out the situation, but the message from this is quite clear.
Any student of the history of Iraq will see this as a repetition of the situation in the 1920s and 1930s.
Margaret Thatcher introduced a system whereby people who have left the UK could vote in UK elections so that is not unique.
In the UK 28,673 people voted. 62% of those voted for list 130. I have a real struggle reading the arabic script, but I think the name of the party is something about not occupying and Kurdistan (I think the last word is Kurdistan or something like that).
19% voted for list 169 which is the main Shi'a list. In the US 32% voted for the main Shi'a list, but only 4% for Allawi's list (5% voted for Allawi in the UK).
This may shock the US State Department. The US State Department totally misunderstand the situation. The evidence of the election result is that in a secret ballot 32% of Iraqis living and working in the US have voted for a list that wants the withdrawal of occupying forces.
I cannot find an easy source of information as to which list is what and it takes me too long to translate the Arabic and work out the situation, but the message from this is quite clear.
Any student of the history of Iraq will see this as a repetition of the situation in the 1920s and 1930s.
Comments
It should be noted, however, that one of the 'manifesto pledges' of the Shia House, list 169, is a speedy withdraw of the foreign forces. It's been unequivocally the case since last summer that most of the Iraqis want the foreign troops to leave (I can provide polls.)