Spoetnik
23-09-04, 19:40
Top Shiite Cleric Is Said to Fear Voting in Iraq May Be Delayed
By DEXTER FILKINS
Published: September 23, 2004
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept. 22 - Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, the nation's most powerful Shiite leader, is growing increasingly concerned that nationwide elections could be delayed, his aides said, and has even threatened to withdraw his support for the elections unless changes are made to increase the representation of Shiites, according to one Iraqi source close to him.
Aides to Ayatollah Sistani contacted Lakhdar Brahimi of Algeria, the United Nations adviser who brokered the agreement to hold the elections, planned for January, to express concern that they would be delayed, according to Hamid Khaffaf, one of Ayatollah Sistani's top aides.
Another source close to the electoral negotiations said Ayatollah Sistani had asked Mr. Brahimi to return to Iraq to try to address his concerns. Mr. Khaffaf declined to discuss details of the conversation.
In New York, Mr. Brahimi's aides said only that he had not spoken recently to Ayatollah Sistani. The United Nations special representative to Iraq, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi of Pakistan, could not be reached for comment.
According to people with knowledge of the talks, Ayatollah Sistani is concerned that the nascent democratic process here is falling under the control of a handful of the largest political parties, which cooperated with the American occupation and are comprised largely of exiles.
In particular, these sources say, Ayatollah Sistani is worried about discussions now under way among those parties to form a single ticket for the elections, thus limiting the choices of voters and smothering smaller political parties.
Ayatollah Sistani, who earlier this year sent tens of thousands of Iraqis into the streets to demand early elections, is said to be worried that a "consensus list" of candidates from the larger political parties would artificially limit the power of the Shiites, who form a majority in the country.
(...)
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/23/international/middleeast/23sistani.html?ex=1096907243&ei=1&en=79e280d35c638542
De verkiezingen in januari zullen waarschijnlijk niet meer plaats vinden. Ondanks de anderhalf jaar die de Amerikanen hadden om het voorbereiden is er nog niets gebeurt om verkiezingen te faciliteren, er is geen census gehouden, er zijn nog geen lokale verkiezingen gehouden, de VN die de verkiezingen zou supervisen krijgt geen voet aan de grond in Iraq.
Waar ik benieuwd naar ben is of Sistani naar eenheid van Iraq zal streven of dat hij ook tevreden zal zijn met het splitsen met Iraq.
Het splitsen van Iraq is het doel geweest van de Amerikanen. Het CFR was een van de eerste organisaties die openlijk riep tot splitsing van Iraq. Vervolgens is er de NWO terroristen Al-Zarqawi die names de CFR Iraq probeert op te splitsen. De Koerden willen een eigen staat en willen Iraq opsplitsen. Het enige wat de Amerikanen dus dienen te doen is een sektarische wig te drijven tussen Sunni en Shia en zo de traditionele stammenverhoudingen in Iraq te verbreken.
By DEXTER FILKINS
Published: September 23, 2004
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept. 22 - Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, the nation's most powerful Shiite leader, is growing increasingly concerned that nationwide elections could be delayed, his aides said, and has even threatened to withdraw his support for the elections unless changes are made to increase the representation of Shiites, according to one Iraqi source close to him.
Aides to Ayatollah Sistani contacted Lakhdar Brahimi of Algeria, the United Nations adviser who brokered the agreement to hold the elections, planned for January, to express concern that they would be delayed, according to Hamid Khaffaf, one of Ayatollah Sistani's top aides.
Another source close to the electoral negotiations said Ayatollah Sistani had asked Mr. Brahimi to return to Iraq to try to address his concerns. Mr. Khaffaf declined to discuss details of the conversation.
In New York, Mr. Brahimi's aides said only that he had not spoken recently to Ayatollah Sistani. The United Nations special representative to Iraq, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi of Pakistan, could not be reached for comment.
According to people with knowledge of the talks, Ayatollah Sistani is concerned that the nascent democratic process here is falling under the control of a handful of the largest political parties, which cooperated with the American occupation and are comprised largely of exiles.
In particular, these sources say, Ayatollah Sistani is worried about discussions now under way among those parties to form a single ticket for the elections, thus limiting the choices of voters and smothering smaller political parties.
Ayatollah Sistani, who earlier this year sent tens of thousands of Iraqis into the streets to demand early elections, is said to be worried that a "consensus list" of candidates from the larger political parties would artificially limit the power of the Shiites, who form a majority in the country.
(...)
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/23/international/middleeast/23sistani.html?ex=1096907243&ei=1&en=79e280d35c638542
De verkiezingen in januari zullen waarschijnlijk niet meer plaats vinden. Ondanks de anderhalf jaar die de Amerikanen hadden om het voorbereiden is er nog niets gebeurt om verkiezingen te faciliteren, er is geen census gehouden, er zijn nog geen lokale verkiezingen gehouden, de VN die de verkiezingen zou supervisen krijgt geen voet aan de grond in Iraq.
Waar ik benieuwd naar ben is of Sistani naar eenheid van Iraq zal streven of dat hij ook tevreden zal zijn met het splitsen met Iraq.
Het splitsen van Iraq is het doel geweest van de Amerikanen. Het CFR was een van de eerste organisaties die openlijk riep tot splitsing van Iraq. Vervolgens is er de NWO terroristen Al-Zarqawi die names de CFR Iraq probeert op te splitsen. De Koerden willen een eigen staat en willen Iraq opsplitsen. Het enige wat de Amerikanen dus dienen te doen is een sektarische wig te drijven tussen Sunni en Shia en zo de traditionele stammenverhoudingen in Iraq te verbreken.