U.S. lowers expectations on Iraq vote
White House: Process is key, not turnout
By Robin Wright and Jim VandeHei
Updated: 11:01 p.m. ET Jan. 12, 2005
Washington Post
With just over two weeks until the Iraq election, the United States is lowering its expectations for both the turnout and the results of the vote, increasingly emphasizing other steps over the next year as more important to Iraq's political transformation, according to U.S. officials.
The Bush administration played down voter turnout yesterday in determining the election's legitimacy and urged Americans not to get bogged in a numbers game in judging the balloting, a reflection of the growing concern over how much the escalating insurgency and the problem of Sunni participation may affect the vote.
"I would . . . really encourage people not to focus on numbers, which in themselves don't have any meaning, but to look on the outcome and to look at the government that will be the product of these elections," a senior administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity at a White House briefing yesterday. The official highlighted the low voter turnout in U.S. elections as evidence that polling numbers are not essential to legitimacy.
The transition from an interim body, which was appointed last summer by U.N. and U.S. officials, to an elected government "in itself is an enormous achievement and . . . we all encourage people to view it in that way," the official said.
For months, the administration has promoted the election as a major milestone in its efforts to bring democracy to Iraq and then the wider Middle East and Islamic world. But the continuing insurgency and the inability of U.S. forces to stabilize Iraq almost two years after the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein has forced the administration to redefine the context, goals and role of this first election.
etc.
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Hehe, he said US elections and legitimacy 😛 I wonder how many millions the US gives Allawi for bribes etc.
White House: Process is key, not turnout
By Robin Wright and Jim VandeHei
Updated: 11:01 p.m. ET Jan. 12, 2005
Washington Post
With just over two weeks until the Iraq election, the United States is lowering its expectations for both the turnout and the results of the vote, increasingly emphasizing other steps over the next year as more important to Iraq's political transformation, according to U.S. officials.
The Bush administration played down voter turnout yesterday in determining the election's legitimacy and urged Americans not to get bogged in a numbers game in judging the balloting, a reflection of the growing concern over how much the escalating insurgency and the problem of Sunni participation may affect the vote.
"I would . . . really encourage people not to focus on numbers, which in themselves don't have any meaning, but to look on the outcome and to look at the government that will be the product of these elections," a senior administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity at a White House briefing yesterday. The official highlighted the low voter turnout in U.S. elections as evidence that polling numbers are not essential to legitimacy.
The transition from an interim body, which was appointed last summer by U.N. and U.S. officials, to an elected government "in itself is an enormous achievement and . . . we all encourage people to view it in that way," the official said.
For months, the administration has promoted the election as a major milestone in its efforts to bring democracy to Iraq and then the wider Middle East and Islamic world. But the continuing insurgency and the inability of U.S. forces to stabilize Iraq almost two years after the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein has forced the administration to redefine the context, goals and role of this first election.
etc.
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Hehe, he said US elections and legitimacy 😛 I wonder how many millions the US gives Allawi for bribes etc.
