Download monitors_find_significant_fraud_in_afghan_elections.pdf
This kind of thing is absolutely predictable in 3rd World Elections (someone will now write to say that it is true of elections everywhere). I think it is less likely in Europe. Nevertheless, it raises the issue of the ballot counting in the coming Iraq constitutional referendum. In the January election, there was considerable "to-ing and fro-ing" in reporting the results and somehow the unfortunate secular Shia Allawi ended up with more votes than the early counting had indicated he might get.
The referendum will be a critical point on the history of the new Iraq. If the constitution is approved, then the pattern of political history will be irrevocably set for Iraq as the "game" is played out. If it fails then there is a chance to start over and more fully address the grievances of the Sunni Arabs AS A COMMUNITY with the idea of weaning them from support of the non-jihadi insurgents.
Who is going to count?
Pat Lang
Yes! Wasn’t it Joseph Stalin who famously declared;
“Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.”