Jordan Times
Friday, December 16, 2005
Iraqi expatriates vote for
national unity
By Mohammad Ben Hussein
AMMAN — Three days of polling for Iraqi
expatriates living in the Kingdom ended on Thursday amid hopes that the emerging
government would bring unity to a war-torn nation.
Officials from the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) said voter
turnout in Jordan was much higher than in the January elections for an interim
assembly.
Abbas Azraq, spokesman for the commission, said thousands of Iraqis flocked to
polling stations across the Kingdom during the past three days.
However, he declined to give exact figures before the voting ended.
The Kingdom was one of 15 nations that hosted the out-of-country vote for Iraqi
expatriates.
Other nations hosting the Iraqi absentee vote are the United States, Canada,
Australia, Britain, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Turkey,
Iran, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates.
Iraqi voters at the Tla Al Ali polling station in the capital said their desire
for a unified country motivated them to cast ballots.
Khalil Samerai, 45, who shunned the January elections, said he voted this time
because he did not want one group to dominate the Iraqi political scene.
“Many Iraqis ignored the January elections because they did not believe change
would occur. We hope our participation will help Iraqi unity,” he said.
A total of 307 political entities and 19 coalitions have registered to contest
for the 275 seats in the council, according to the commission.
Twelve polling stations were set up in public schools in Amman, Zarqa and Irbid
for eligible voters — Iraqi passport holders over 18 who were born in Iraq.
Soujoud Abdullah, 35, a mother of three, said the absence of Sunnis in January
elections cast doubt on the winners' credentials.
“The whole Iraqi nation must vote. We do our duty as Iraqis and vote while
politicians must do their duty by driving Americans out of the country.”
The elections will produce Iraq's first full-term parliament since the collapse
of Saddam Hussein's regime following the US-led invasion in March 2003.