- Title: IRAQ: VOTERS GO TO POLLS IN IRAQI PRESIDENTIAL REFERENDUM
- Date: 15th October 2002
- Summary: (U2) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (OCTOBER 15, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV: EXTERIOR OF A POLLING CENTRE 0.07 2. SV'S: BANNER WITH "DOWN, DOWN BUSH AND HIS TAIL BLAIR" WRITTEN ON IT/ ANOTHER ANTI-BUSH BANNER (2 SHOTS) 0.14 (W3) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (OCTOBER 15, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 3. SCU: IZZAT IBRAHIM VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE RCC (REVOLUTIONARY COMMAND COUNCIL) AMONG PEOPLE TO CAST HIS VOTE 0.22 4. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IZZAT IBRAHIM VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE RCC (REVOLUTIONARY COMMAND COUNCIL) CASTING HIS VOTE SAYING: "Iraq is the spirit of the nation, Iraq is the protector of the nation, and when we say "Yes" for President Saddam Hussein, we say "Yes", for the aspirations and longings of the Nation." / IBRAHIM WALKING AWAY 1.20 5. SV/CU: SCHOOL CHILDREN SAYING "BUSH BUSH LISTEN WELL: ALL OF US LOVE SADDAM HUSSEIN" (2 SHOTS) 1.29 (W4) TIKRIT, SALAHEDDIN PROVINCE, 90 MILES NORTH OF BAGHDAD, IRAQ (OCTOBER 15, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6. SLV: MILITARY CARS CARRYING SOLDIERS 1.36 7. SV/MV: THE SOLDIERS GETTING OUT OF CARS AND SHOUTING: "YES, YES FOR SADDAM." (2 SHOTS) 1.59 8. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQI OFFICER AYAD ATIYA SAYING: "This is his army, they are Saddam Hussein, and Saddam represents them all, no difference - we are Saddam and Saddam is us." 2.09 9. MV: MILITARY TRUCK DRIVING AWAY 2.13 10. SV: EXTERIOR OF POLLING CENTRE 2.18 11. SV: VOTERS IN QUEUES WAITING TO CAST THEIR VOTES 2.23 12. CU: OFFICIAL LOOKING FOR THEIR NAMES ON VOTING LISTS 2.26 13. CU: BALLOT PAPER 2.28 14. SCU: VOTERS MAKING FINGERPRINTS ON VOTING CARDS, USING BLOOD 2.35 (W5) BASRAH, IRAQ (OCTOBER 15, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 15. GV: VESSELS ON SHATEL-ARAB RIVER 2.41 16. VARIOUS OF STATUES OF IRAQI SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ/IRAN WAR 2.43 17. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CASTING THEIR VOTES 2.52 18. CLOSE OF VOTE DROPPING INTO BALLOT BOX 2.55 19. SV/CU OF FEMALE VOTER'S POSTING BALLOT (2 SHOTS) 3.02 20. SV: VOTER INSERTING PICTURE OF SADDAM INTO BALLOT - POLLING CARD STUCK ONTO VOTER CARD 3.05 21. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic): FEMALE VOTER SAYING: "We pay no attention to the American threats - and we are confident of our leadership and our people and we are united against the American threats." 3.16 22. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CHANTING IN PRAISE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN, SAYING: "All Iraqi's say Saddam is our country's dear." (2 SHOTS) 3.26 (W5) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (OCTOBER 15, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 23. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE VOTING (2 SHOTS) 3.46 24. SV: CHILD CASTING VOTE ON BEHALF OF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S ELDEST SON, UDAY SADDAM 4.02 25. MV: RED CAR BELONGING TO UDAY SADDAM OUTSIDE POLLING CENTRE AMID TIGHT SECURITY 4.27 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 30th October 2002 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, TIKRIT AND BASRAH, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVAOR4GAMCELXZP4DIGVW3L5GHT
- Story Text: Iraqis have gone to the polls. It is expected that the
country's President Saddam Hussein will be voted back into
power for another seven year term.
Iraqi citizens gathered at various polling centres on
Tuesday (October 15) - many carrying doves - a symbol of
peace. As voting went on in different stations across the
country, voters sang in happiness and in support of President
Saddam Hussein, saying "with blood and spirit, we sacrifice
everything for you Saddam".
Other songs included phrases against American President
George Bush. People sang: "Bush Bush, listen well, all of us
love Saddam Hussein, others shouting, "we will never give up
Iraq and Saddam Hussein."
Some who were not able to vote came to offer support for
Saddam's leadership, and peace for the people of Iraq.
More than 11.5 million voters are expected to cast their
votes in support of Saddam.
Meanwhile, the United States is mounting its threats to
oust the Iraqi president from power, but Iraqis vowed to fight
ferociously if they were attacked.
Iraqi Vice-Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council
Izzat Ibrahim reiterated the Iraqi peoples' determination to
vote in favour of Saddam, saying: "Iraq is the spirit of the
nation, Iraq is the protector of the nation, and when we say
Yes for President Saddam Hussein, we say Yes, for the
aspirations and longings of the Nation."
Most polling stations are schools. Iraqis aged 18 and
above will enter with their voter cards, and be handed the
ballot with the "Yes" or "No" boxes.
Many Iraqis say their vote for Saddam will be a vote of
defiance against the United States.
Meanwhile voters at Saddam's birthplace in Tikrit, 90
miles north of Baghdad, voters gathered to go to the polls as
well.
The town's population went to the polling centres to cast
their votes, many of them preparing for President Saddam's
victory.
Hundreds of soldiers openly showed their support for
Saddam, saying that they love him.
"This is his army, they are Saddam Hussein, and Saddam
represents them all, no difference - we are Saddam and Saddam
is us," said Ayad Atiya, an army officer.
Voters in the Southern Iraqi city of Basrah - singing
songs in praise of Saddam - also cast their ballots on
Tuesday.
At the end of this referendum, Saddam's government, will
be able to tell how much support he receives from the area,
where the majority of people are Shiite muslims.
The city of Basrah, located near the Kuwait border, was
considered a No-Fly zone which was imposed by the Americans
and British after the 1991 Gulf War, which took place after
Iraq seized Kuwait.
Since then, the southern region has been considered unsafe
due to frequent American and British air-strikes. They allege
the Iraqi's anti-aircraft defences have been firing at
American planes, which frequently patrol the No-fly zones.
The people of Basrah on Tuesday arrived in thousands so
that they could exercise their democratic rights in support of
Saddam.
"We pay no attention to the American threats - and we are
confident of our leadership and our people and we are united
against the American threats," said a woman voter in Basrah.
And as the voting process went on, many chanted and played
their tambourines in support of their leader.
Basrah came under attack several times during the
eight-year Iraq-Iran war, between 1980-88. Hundreds of people
in Basrah were killed during this war. In addition, Basrah is
one of many Iraqi provinces exposed to depleted Uranium during
the US-led coalition war, which ejected Iraqi troops from
Kuwait.
Meanwhile in Baghdad, a young boy was helped to cast a
vote on behalf of Uday Saddam, the eldest son of Saddam
Hussein, at Tuesday's referendum.
Uday Saddam is influential in the Iraqi political scene
and is a member of Parliament in the Iraqi government.
Sixty five year old Saddam Hussein's presidency started in
1979, when he assumed power after the previous president,
Ahmed
Hassan Al-Bakir fell sick and retired as president. Saddam
Hussein was vice-president then.
The previous referendum, held in 1995, showed Saddam
winning with a vote of 99.96 percent, renewing his
presidential term by seven years. Currently, Saddam seems no
known opposition.
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