Iraqi minister says poll may be delayed

[KingChicken]

Tue 4 Jan 2005

Iraqi minister says poll may be delayed

DUSAN STOJANOVIC
IN BAGHDAD

MILITANTS continued their campaign to disrupt Iraqi elections yesterday, detonating a series of bombs and killing at least 16 people.

In a further setback to the elections planned to be held on 30 January, Hazim al-Shaalan, Iraq’s defence minister, said he favoured delaying the poll if Sunni Muslims were not planning to take part.

Mr Shaalan said Iraq was asking Egypt to intervene to try to persuade the Sunnis to vote.

"If there is any difficulty in them taking part, then the question of postponing them for another period arises. That, I believe, is the safest and most proper way, so that all sectors and the full spectrum of Iraqi society can take part in elections on one day," he said.


more: http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=7532005

[Massachusetts]

1. ONLY

If Sistani gives the O.K.

[0007]

3. The nod is all that's needed

[leftchick]

2. so all of the violence over the last 21 months was to...

disrupt the elections? There has not been any "increase". It has been a deadly place to live since the US invaded. Welcome to muriKan style freedom.

[Divernan]

4. "poll"? Poll? POLL!?!?!?! P-O-L-L !!!!???!!!

What game is this? To refer to an election as a poll? A poll is where you query a small number of people and project the results. Actually, that is exactly what the Iraqi " election" would be - since it is already clear that many Iraqis will not "vote" or otherwise participate in this election, for a variety of reasons.

[NNN0LHI]

5. I notice the British news services always refer to elections as polls

I don't think it is anything nefarious. Just different words that mean the same thing to us. Like an automobile hood over here is a bonnet over there.

Don

[Disturbed]

6. Bush and Powell mantra.

There are groups in Iraq that do not want Democracy and are trying to
prevent this election.

[HockeyMom]

7. Iraqi Elections

will STOP the violence? After the election, these insurgents will just give up and go home? Wanna buy a bridge?

[Bouncy Ball]

8. There will be no election.

Not in January. Not in February. Not in March, April, or May.

The violence will not let up. Look for it to worsen as summer comes on.

That's when the previous two years will start to look like child's play. Iraq is becoming more and more dangerous all the time.

And by the way, where are all those Iraqis we were supposed to train to fight alongside the Americans?

Hmmmm?