In Iraq, a Vote of No Confidence

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BAGHDAD - While many Iraqi and U.S. leaders congratulate each other on the relative success of last month's provincial elections, others are expressing concern about the unexpectedly low voter turnout.

It appears that millions of Iraqis shunned the country's first election in over three years because they are disillusioned with politics and felt their votes would not make a difference.

In fact, fewer people voted in last month's provincial elections than in any other election since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

The low turnout took place despite improvements in security and a combined effort by the electoral commission, candidates and the media to encourage a large voter turnout. Officials had predicted that between 70 percent and 80 percent of eligible voters would cast ballots. Instead, only 51 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the 14 provinces where elections were held.

Turnout was lowest in Baghdad and Anbar, a Sunni Arab-dominated province where only an estimated 40 percent of voters took part in the poll. Analysts had expected Sunnis, who boycotted the previous election in 2005, to turn out in much larger numbers this time.

An informal survey in Baghdad, Basra, Anbar and Karbala found that those who did not vote said they were frustrated by local corruption and the poor performance of the current councils. Many say they despaired of politics long ago.

Sana Ghazi, a kindergarten teacher in the Iraqi capital, argued the provincial councils do not hold substantial power and complained that Baghdad's council had failed to fulfill its primary duty: providing services.

Politicians "enjoy money and power, and in the end we will be the victims," she said. "We shouldn't bother going to vote."

Muhammad Radhi, 33, of Basra, said he decided not to vote because he "could not find anyone who represents me."

"You can see the areas where the governor and members of parliament live _ they are very well-cared for," he said. "But they could not provide us with services. There is no power in summer or in winter."

Hassan Zighayyir, 66, of Baghdad, said none of the candidates inspired him to vote. "I promised myself that my vote would not bring anyone to power," he said.

Falih Ali, a 28-year-old ministry of oil employee in Karbala, said the ballot was simply too confusing. "Karbala alone had nearly 1,200 candidates _ good heavens!" he said. "How can I differentiate between good and bad among them, given that they have similar platforms?"

Indeed, if voters were apathetic, the candidates certainly weren't. More than 14,400 candidates were running for 440 seats on provincial councils.

Zaineb Ali, a 28-year-old housewife in Fallujah, said she had considered voting for a female candidate. But ultimately, she said, her desire to see a woman in office could not overcome her general mistrust of politicians. She said she would vote in future elections only if politicians "provide broader opportunities for women and allow them to have their own say in serving Iraq."

Mustafa Ayad, 35, also of Fallujah, said he is too busy trying to figure out how to make ends meet to worry about the election. He also voiced a general distrust of politicians. "The results are decided from the very beginning," he said. "My vote is not worth anything."

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ABOUT THE WRITER

Daud Salman in a reporter in Iraq who writes for The Institute for War & Peace Reporting, a nonprofit organization that trains journalists in areas of conflict. Abler Mohammed and Dhirgham Muhammad Ali also contributed to this report. Readers may write to the author at the Institute for War & Peace Reporting, 48 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8LT, U.K.; Web site: www.iwpr.net. For information about IWPR's funding, please go to http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?top_supporters.html.

This essay is available to McClatchy-Tribune News Service subscribers. McClatchy-Tribune did not subsidize the writing of this column; the opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of McClatchy-Tribune or its editors.

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(c) 2009, The Institute for War & Peace Reporting

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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