Iraqis call Iraqi election a sham (1 Viewer)

[scottyz]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Protesters gathered across the country Friday to denounce parliamentary elections that demonstrators called rigged in favor of the main religious Shiite coalition.

In Baghdad, unknown assailants kidnapped a Sudanese diplomat and five other men as they left prayers at a mosque, a spokesman for Sudan's Foreign Ministry said. An Iraqi Foreign Ministry official said he had not heard of the abduction.

As many as 20,000 people demonstrated after noon prayers in southern Baghdad Friday in a protest organized by Sunni Arab groups and attended by representatives of secular Shia parties.

Many Iraqis outside the religious Shiite coalition allege that the elections were unfair to smaller Sunni Arab and secular Shiite groups.

"We refuse the cheating and forgery in the elections," read one banner among many decrying the elections.

Sheik Mahmoud al-Sumaidaei of the Association of Muslim Scholars, a major Sunni clerical group, told followers during Friday prayers at Baghdad's Umm al-Qura mosque that they were "living a conspiracy built on lies and forgery."

"You have to be ready during these hard times and combat forgeries and lies for the sake of Islam," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051223/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_051223191457;_ylt=AhBwwWhIKssXx0zH9xBa4KZX6GMA

How do you convince 20,000 angry Iraqis that they weren't cheated? Will the Sunni's ever be happy with anything less than a voice in the government equal to that of the Shiites?

 

[JustMyPOV]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051223/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_051223191457;_ylt=AhBwwWhIKssXx0zH9xBa4KZX6GMA

How do you convince 20,000 angry Iraqis that they weren't cheated? Will the Sunni's ever be happy with anything less than a voice in the government equal to that of the Shiites?

They really shouldn't be particularly surprised that the majority is coming in as the majority. It isn't like in the US, where it could have gone either way because the major parties are similar in size, and essentially, those who are independant and could swing one way or the other decide the election.

That said, perhaps they could deal with it in the same way we dealt with ensuring the proper representation of rural states, and create a senate of sorts, rather than relying on a single, majority-rules house of parliament. If they hope for stability and to avoid civil war, their majority needs to be willing to compromise to ensure that all Iraqis are properly represented in the government.