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Iraq Elections
The interim Iraqi government has set a date of 30 January 2005 for its first nationwide election since the toppling of Saddam Hussein. Important Dates 01 November 2004: Voter and candidate registration began 22 November 2004: Deadline for registering parties and individuals wanting to stand for election 23 November 2004: Last date for registering on electoral lists in the provinces 30 November 2004: Last date for registering on electoral lists in Baghdad 15 December 2004: Election campaign Starts 30 January 2005 : Election Day The Day of Election The Election Day is on 30th January 2005 and Voting papers are being printed in Switzerland to avoid counterfeiting and will be distributed to the thousands of voting stations to be set up across the country. Centres will be established in each of the 18 provinces to collate results before sending them on to Baghdad. Once voters have cast their ballot, their name is crossed off the voter register and their thumb marked with indelible ink to prevent them from voting more than once. Seats will then be allocated on the basis of proportional representation, which means that each party will get the same proportion of seats in the assembly as it gets in the popular vote. Parties and Candidates More than 120 parties have so far been authorised to field candidates for the assembly. They are obliged to present a list of at least 12 candidates, and no more than 275. Every third name must be a woman's, to ensure that at least 25% of the seats in the assembly go to women. The parties likely to figure prominently are the two Kurdish groupings, Kurdish Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which are already firmly established, the Shia-led Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, SCIRI, the Islamic al-Dawa, and the Iraqi National Congress, an exile group chaired by one-time US ally Ahmed Chalabi. There have been suggestion that Mr Chalabi may lead a Shia list including supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr. The Communist party, which opposed the US-led invasion, may also feature. On the whole, voters are expected to cast their ballot according to sectarian and ethnic divides. Shias, who are a majority in Iraq, are likely to back Shia parties, both religious and secular. The Kurds, who have had virtual autonomy in the north for some years will in all probability back their already well-established parties. Sunni representation is seen as the main concern. Some of their parties have also said they plan to boycott the poll, including the influential Association of Muslim Scholars. The potential lack of Sunni participation in the vote could have long-term repercussions for the legitimacy and stability of the government elected. Individuals may also run. To do so they must file a 500-signature petition with the electoral commission. The chairman of this body said in mid-November that so far 126 of the 198 who had applied had been accepted. Former senior Baathists are barred from both standing as individuals or on party lists, as are current members of the Iraqi armed forces, or any armed militias. | ||||
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