Elections

[andyfox]

President Bush said Thursday that Iraq's elections must not be delayed from their scheduled date of Jan. 30, rejecting calls from more than a dozen political parties there to postpone them until security at the polls can be ensured.

"It's time for Iraqi citizens to go to the polls," Bush told reporters in the Oval Office at the start of a meeting with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Bush also weighed in on the matter of the election crisis in Ukraine, saying more forcefully than he had previously that other countries must not meddle as that country sorts through the disputed vote.

Inconsistent?

[elwoodblues]

Inconsistent --- yep.
Expected --- yep.


Does anyone know what the underlying policy reasons are for teh Jan 30th date for the Iraq elections or is it just an arbitrary date. I think Bush could make a stronger point for Jan 30th if it had some there was some rational basis for that date.

[sam h]

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone know what the underlying policy reasons are for teh Jan 30th date for the Iraq elections or is it just an arbitrary date.

[/ QUOTE ]

There are two.

1) This date was set a long time ago, during the negotiations surrounding the supposed "handover of power" to the Iraqi civilian government. To postpone the elections would be to provide confirmation of the (obvious) fact that the security situation in Iraq has gotten worse since then.

2) The Jan 30th date is convenient because the right people are poised to win.

[jokerswild]

I understand Buh's thought process. if it's going to be fixed election, why postpone it?

The Ukraine makes very little sense. Antagonizing Putin appears counter productive. Perhaps the losing candidate has promised some economic contracts to Bush cronies.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
...rejecting calls from more than a dozen political parties there to postpone them until security at the polls can be ensured.

[/ QUOTE ]

This part of your post suggests there is broad support in Iraq to delay the elections. That simply isn't true. It appears the only group interested in delaying the Iraqi elections are Sunnis who are hoping to rebuild their forces after they were on the wrong end of a historic rout in Fallujah.

[andyfox]

I copied this from the wire report on excite.com. It was probably an AP report.

[Zeno]

The elections will be ugly, in more ways than one; probably no matter how long they are 'delayed'.

It's a long, long journey with an uncertain end, so best, I think, to start down the road and not to be stalled on the Highway.

I often wonder what Iraq will be like 50 years down the road. It's Christmas time, 2054 in Baghdad, and a Wal-Mart is selling red plastic Santa’s and cheap booze to hoards of Iraqi's, the fulfillment of Democracy in action. Fortunately, I will be dead by then and will not have to witness such a gruesome outcome to the American Imperialism I so avidly support.

-Zeno

[lastchance]

I don't know. I hope I can say in 50 years... World should change a lot by then...

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone know what the underlying policy reasons are for teh Jan 30th date for the Iraq elections or is it just an arbitrary date. I think Bush could make a stronger point for Jan 30th if it had some there was some rational basis for that date.

[/ QUOTE ]

The Shites don't want it delayed.

Stu