IRAQ: Iraqi voters have ratified a new U.S.-backed constitution, Sunni political figure Saleh Mutlaq questions results

Record ID: 858689

  • Title: IRAQ: Iraqi voters have ratified a new U.S.-backed constitution, Sunni political figure Saleh Mutlaq questions results
  • Date: 25th October 2005
  • Summary: STREET SCENE IN BAGHDAD
  • Embargoed: 9th November 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • City:
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADU1HTG564L2FZEHF9RID7IHAI
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  • Story Text: Iraqi voters have ratified a new U.S.-backed constitution despite opposition in Sunni Arab areas where insurgents are battling the Baghdad government, officials said on Tuesday (October 25)
    Iraq's Electoral Commission, revealing final results from the October 15 referendum, said 79 percent of voters backed the constitution against 21 percent opposed in a poll split largely along Iraq's sectarian and ethnic lines.
    Several Shi'ite and Kurdish regions voted between 95 and 99 percent "Yes". In rebellious, Sunni Anbar 97 percent said "No".
    At least one Sunni leader complained of "massive fraud" but U.N. and Iraqi election officials said the vote was fair. Saleh Mutlaq, head of the Iraqi National Front, said the results had been "cooked" by the organisers.
    "The new thing is that they cooked (the constitution results) in a very stupid scenario, very simple and idiot(ic) scenario. They made the result in Mosul to say two thirds said 'yes' for the constitution. Who will believe it?"
    Mutlaq demanded that the referendum be re-staged in four provinces under international supervision. He said: "I would like to ask the world, the free world, the United Nations, I urge them to ask for the repeat of the referendum, in Mosul, Diyala, Samwa and Diwaniya, two provinces from the south, two provinces from the north but in an international supervision, with international supervision."
    The constitution's final results confirmed that only two of Iraq's 18 provinces, the insurgent stronghold of Anbar in the west and Saddam Hussein's home region of Salahaddin, had mustered a "No" vote of at least two-thirds -- one short of the three provinces necessary to veto the measure nationally.
    The northern province of Nineveh, thought to represent a third possible "No" due to its large population of Sunni Arabs, ended up with only 55 percent of voters rejecting the charter.
    U.S. officials sponsoring the political process had described the turnout, in which many of the disaffected Sunni Arab minority took part, as a success for Iraqi democracy.
    "We expected that the constitution would not be approved in Mosul but the results were very good in Mosul. God willing, the constitution will guarantee the right of Iraqis to live in peace and God willing, the constitution will be good for Iraqis," said Baghdad resident Maitham Abdul Illah.
    Other Iraqis said that they are against the constitution and they did not cast their votes during the referendum.
    "According to the constitution and referendum, in fact, we did not participate in the referendum as we are against the constitution because we did not understand it or understand its details. In fact they did not even put polling centres in some places so that one could go and participate," said Ghazwan Izzak, a taxi driver.
    A parliamentary election scheduled for December 15 will now elect a parliament with full constitutional powers for four years. Had the charter been blocked, parliament would have had only interim powers for a year while it drew up another draft constitution.
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