IRAQI OCV PROGRAM RUNS SMOOTHLY IN THE UAE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000447

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: IZ KDEM PREL TC
SUBJECT: IRAQI OCV PROGRAM RUNS SMOOTHLY IN THE UAE

REF: A) ABU DHABI 388 B) ABU DHABI 305 C) ABU DHABI

35 D) 04 ABU DHABI 4714


1. Summary: Counting ballots cast by UAE-based Iraqis who
participated in elections began Monday in Abu Dhabi and
Dubai. International Organization for Migration (IOM)
officials estimate it will take two to three days for 36
staff members to tally votes and publish unofficial results.
Poll officials gave no indication of when official election
results would be available, stating only that they would be
available &when Baghdad is ready.8 While registration and
voting ran smoothly, there was both praise and criticism of
the process. Many criticized the separation of registration
and voting dates as having suppressed their participation.
Many who chose to vote called the election a milestone, and
an effective first step toward peace. End summary.

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A FEW CRITICISMS OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS
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2. Although the overall mood at the polling centers was
festive and emotional, the most prominent resident crony of
the former Iraqi regime called the election a &farce.8 Dr.
Mohammad Al Douri, former Ambassador of Iraq to the UN, told
a Gulf News reporter, &All Iraqis believe in democracy. But
how can we talk about free elections under occupation? Any
result will be like an illegitimate child.8 He also
criticized the fact that voters had to vote for parties, not
individuals, and that the lists were drawn along sectarian
lines, discouraging pluralism. He opined, &The only winners
will be the Americans and their puppet government, and this
will lead to the fragmentation of Iraq.8 Gulf News also
reported one instance of a voter who stormed out of a polling
center without casting his ballot, angry because poll
organizers asked him to indicate whether he was Sunni or
Shi,a.


3. The IOM continued to take criticism for separating the
registration and voting processes, which some people said
prevented thousands of otherwise-eligible Iraqis from
participating. One newspaper reported that about 100 people,
many who traveled to the UAE from Oman and other Gulf
countries, claimed they were unaware that they could not
register and vote on the same day, and were turned away at
the polling station. Another observer was quoted as saying
that around 8,000 Iraqis in Kuwait and 3,000 Iraqis in Qatar
could not afford to come to the UAE twice, and therefore were
not able to participate in the elections. Local organizers,
including the head of the Abu Dhabi-based Iraqi
Businessmen,s Council, seconded this complaint, saying that
this system had disenfranchised thousands of Iraqis
throughout the Gulf (ref. A).
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VOTING IS A &MILESTONE8
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4. Despite these criticisms, many of those who chose to vote
were thrilled to have the opportunity to finally have a say
in their country,s government. One voter, who accompanied
his son to the polls, said that, while he was happy to vote,
he understood the arguments of those who chose not to vote.
&They say that the country is under occupation, so voting
cannot have legitimacy. Without occupation, there would be
legitimacy. But I think these people miss the point of the
elections.8 Many families brought children under the legal
voting age to the polls to celebrate the occasion and teach
them about the electoral process. One Dubai-based voter from
Baghdad told a Gulf News reporter, &We are reborn. It is a
celebration, a wedding day for Iraq.8 He said it did not
matter who he voted for, because all candidates would make a
constitution that would respect all Iraqis. An elderly woman
in a wheelchair said, &I would have crawled to vote for my
Iraq.8 A 60-year-old Iraqi economist told a reporter that
the last elections in Iraq were held when he was 10. &It,s
my first time to vote. Most Iraqis I know are also voting
for the first time,8 he said. Another participant was
quoted in Khaleej Times, referencing the ink stain marking
him as a voter, as saying, &When I look at the ink on my
finger, I see it as a mark of freedom.8 A young woman who
voted with her friends told the same reporter, &I hope every
Arab becomes familiar with this feeling of elation, after
being able to vote.8

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MEDIA COVERAGE OF EVENTS
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5. Both English and Arabic language media outlets followed
the registration and elections closely and printed updates
daily. Reporters included both praise and criticism in most
reports, and explained the voting process in detail. One
Arabic language newspaper, Al Bayan, reported the story of
one Israeli who was allowed to vote in Amman, since his
grandfather was an Iraqi. The same paper also published a
photo of an Iraqi in the U.S. who, along with a friend,
kissed an American flag after they voted.


6. Baghdad minimize considered.
SISON