Observing the elections in Karbala -Feb 1, 2005


by Peggy Gish

Ninety-year-old Keleje smiled widely as she walked out of the voting station in a school on the edge of Karbala, where she voted for the first time in her life. Over the doorway of the school a sign in Arabic read, "Today is the real Iraq wedding."

Ahmed Mohammed Hussein, an elderly man near a polling station in central Karbala echoed this hopeful spirit as he said, "We voted in a democratic atmosphere. We are happy and hope this will give us a better life."

Our group of four CPTers had visited three polling centers as unofficial election observers on 30 January 2005 in Karbala. At two centers, CPTers were allowed to go into the voting rooms and see the stacks of ballots, the private voting boxes, instructive posters on the walls, and observe voters placing their ballots in two large plastic boxes. Election workers would count the ballots at each center and take them in sealed boxes to the Independent Election Commission office in Karbala, before sending them to the national center.

We observed a holiday atmosphere on the streets. Young and old played on the streets--empty except for police, other official vehicles, bicycles, motorbikes, and pedestrians. Some people walked up to ten km to their voting centre because of the ban on personal vehicles on election day. Throughout the day none of the Karbala polling centers reported any violence or disruption.

But not all the responses CPTers heard regarding the election were positive and hopeful. Yousef Ahmed was frustrated because he had been out of the country and had not returned in time to get registered. A man who had been in prison under Saddam Hussein for fifteen years, told team members he and others refused to vote, because after being released, he didn't get any financial help as some others had. "And," he said, "nothing will be changed by it anyway." Another man said that the rosy picture Bush had painted had turned bloody. Then he added, "We don't even know the candidates."

The Iraq team appreciated seeing so many people feeling hope and enthusiasm. CPTers knew, however, that in Baghdad and many other parts of the country countless Iraqis were afraid to vote. Many question the legitimacy of this vote or whether it will unify the people of Iraq.

Team members walked back to the hotel that evening, realizing that though the elections seemed on the surface to go well, that they are not likely to bring much change in the quality of life for the common people. If their quality of life does not improve, Iraqis will find their new hope and excitement crushed once again.

Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative of the historic peace churches (Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Quakers) with support and membership from a range of Catholic and Protestant denominations. Supporting violence-reduction efforts around the world is its mandate.

Article reproduced with the kind permission of Christian Peacemaker Teams