Monday, October 03, 2005
Iraqi RhetIraq: Spokesmen
Who: Saleh al-Mutlaq (Spokesman for the Iraqi National Dialogue) & Mahmoud Othman (Independent Kurdish member of Iraqi parliament) & Farid Ayar (member of Iraq's Electoral Commission)
Source: Reuters International
Quotes: From article titled, "Sunnis see Shi'ite manipulation ahead of Iraq vote"
In a session on Sunday, Shi'ites and Kurds, who hold more than three quarters of parliament's 275 seats, decided the existing interim constitution should be interpreted in such a way as to create two different thresholds for the referendum.
For it to pass, a majority of those who turn out to vote have to say "Yes," while for it to be defeated, two-thirds of registered voters in three or more provinces have to say "No."
What the interim constitution actually says is: "The general referendum will be successful and the draft constitution ratified if a majority of the voters in Iraq approve and if two -thirds of the voters in three or more governorates do not reject it."
The interim constitution's wording suggests "voters" means those who turn out to vote in both cases, not registered voters, which is a much higher benchmark. In elections in January, less than 60 percent of Iraqis who registered actually voted.
"It's unfair and I didn't vote for it," Mahmoud Othman, an independent Kurdish member of parliament, told Reuters. "It's a double standard and it shouldn't have happened."
"But to play by this kind of majoritarian rule is very dangerous, it's playing with fire," he [ Joost Hiltermann, an Iraq expert with the International Crisis Group] told Reuters from Ammam. "They are excluding one community to make it look as if they have agreement."
Farid Ayar, a member of Iraq's Electoral Commission, which is organising the referendum, told Reuters the interim constitution clearly intended to define voters in the referendum as those who turn out to vote, not registered voters.
"It is an issue and it needs to be resolved," he said.
Mutlaq, the Sunni politician, said he and others may now call on Sunnis to boycott the referendum, a move that could further marginalise the community from the political process.
Source: Reuters International
Quotes: From article titled, "Sunnis see Shi'ite manipulation ahead of Iraq vote"
In a session on Sunday, Shi'ites and Kurds, who hold more than three quarters of parliament's 275 seats, decided the existing interim constitution should be interpreted in such a way as to create two different thresholds for the referendum.
For it to pass, a majority of those who turn out to vote have to say "Yes," while for it to be defeated, two-thirds of registered voters in three or more provinces have to say "No."
What the interim constitution actually says is: "The general referendum will be successful and the draft constitution ratified if a majority of the voters in Iraq approve and if two -thirds of the voters in three or more governorates do not reject it."
The interim constitution's wording suggests "voters" means those who turn out to vote in both cases, not registered voters, which is a much higher benchmark. In elections in January, less than 60 percent of Iraqis who registered actually voted.
"It's unfair and I didn't vote for it," Mahmoud Othman, an independent Kurdish member of parliament, told Reuters. "It's a double standard and it shouldn't have happened."
"But to play by this kind of majoritarian rule is very dangerous, it's playing with fire," he [ Joost Hiltermann, an Iraq expert with the International Crisis Group] told Reuters from Ammam. "They are excluding one community to make it look as if they have agreement."
Farid Ayar, a member of Iraq's Electoral Commission, which is organising the referendum, told Reuters the interim constitution clearly intended to define voters in the referendum as those who turn out to vote, not registered voters.
"It is an issue and it needs to be resolved," he said.
Mutlaq, the Sunni politician, said he and others may now call on Sunnis to boycott the referendum, a move that could further marginalise the community from the political process.
