US embassy cable - 05AMMAN1201

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001201 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, 
I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN 
USAID/ANE/MEA 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ ELECTION 
 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- The announcement of the results of the January 30 
legislative elections in Iraq lead front-page coverage 
of all papers published today, February 14.  Other 
stories highlight King Abdullah's visit to the UAE to 
take part in the opening of IDEX 2005 and focus on 
Palestinian-Israeli issues, including Israel's 
agreement to release 500 Palestinian prisoners 
tomorrow. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Iraq stands before a new stage: political and 
party formations under the test" 
 
Semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (02/14) 
editorializes:  "With the announcement of the final 
results of the Iraq election, one could say that the 
Iraqi people have taken a qualitative step towards 
building the new Iraq..  The Iraqi people in its 
majority went to the ballot boxes to cast their votes 
in favor of change, freedom, security, stability and 
the establishment of a modern state away from bigotry 
and dictatorship..  The political forces that had 
acquired the trust of the people must not disappoint 
the people.  They must consider their victory a 
legitimate beginning and a popular authorization for 
them to assume their responsibilities and duties for 
which the Iraqi people had voted, foremost among which 
is the preservation of the unity of Iraq, and the 
personification of democracy in a coalition that lays 
the foundations for the new Iraq that would bring 
security to the people and begin the rebuilding 
process in a manner that would speed the departure of 
the foreign troops and provide genuine sovereignty and 
independence." 
 
-- "Legitimate elections with three quarters" 
 
Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back-page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(02/14):  "The majority acquired by the Unified Shiite 
List must not tempt its people of having autocratic 
decision-making power, not if they want the political 
process to advance.  The logic of preserving accord 
and harmony must be maintained not just with the 
powers represented in parliament but also with the 
Sunni factions that had boycotted the elections but 
want to be party to formulating Iraq's future..  One 
could say that the legitimacy of the elections was 
breached to an extent due to the fact that they took 
place under occupation and amidst the boycott of one 
of the components of the Iraqi people.  This is 
sufficient to say that the resulting majority must not 
enjoy complete decision-making freedom on the basis of 
the number of its members in this parliament.  Having 
said that however, the elections remain a launching 
pad for the political process..  One must acknowledge 
the fact that the parliament represents three quarters 
of the Iraqi people.  The remaining quarter cannot 
just hit its head against the wall and use the 
occupation as a pretext to stay out of the political 
negotiations vis--vis Iraq's future.  If it does, it 
will achieve nothing and Iraq will remain prone to 
blind violence with no hope or horizon.  Even if the 
Americans withdraw tomorrow, this quarter must take 
into consideration the other three quarters of the 
Iraqi people, namely the Shiites and the Kurds." 
 
-- "A government for Al-Sistani or for Alawi!" 
 
Chief editor Taher Udwan writes on the back-page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(02/14):  "I am still in support of the saying that 
the elections in Iraq are illegitimate because they 
took place under occupation and on the basis of the 
Bremmer constitution which was founded on the idea of 
dividing the country..  The elections took place in 
order to grant legitimacy to the upcoming government 
that has the responsibility of preparing the new 
constitution and the final elections early next year. 
This means that the government will be the point of 
conflict, which has already started between the 
political forces, the Shiites and the Kurds, to divide 
up the cake and achieve the best of profits..  All 
those who backed the Iraqi elections and legitimized 
it from outside Iraq, including the United States, 
prefer a government led by Alawi and having an 
alliance with Talbani and Barzani.  On the ground 
however, a government formed by Al-Sistani coalition 
would be closer to the national interests of Iraq than 
a government formed by Alawi with the Kurds that would 
strengthen the Kurds' Israel-supported separatist 
desires in Kerkuk..  Al-Sistani's coalition with the 
Sunnis and the Shiites may be the only remaining 
guarantee in the hands of the Iraqis for preserving 
Iraq's unity while the occupation is there, because 
this coalition might rectify the concept of the 
majority as an Arab majority." 
 
-- "The results of the Iraq election" 
 
Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(02/14) editorializes:  "We are all aware of the 
circumstances that surrounded the legislative 
elections in Iraq and we all realize that they do not 
genuinely and completely reflect the will of the Iraqi 
people.  However, the elections went on as best as can 
be expected under the current situation in that 
country, whose people are looking for a new beginning 
that would take them out of the crisis and lead to the 
shores of safety, freedom, independence and progress. 
It may be too early to make final impressions about 
the results of the elections . but it is enough to 
consider the number of people who exercised their 
right to vote in order to realize the message that the 
Iraqi people had sent to everyone, namely that they 
long for freedom and for self-management..  It is not 
for us to say that the Sunnis's abstention from the 
elections was right or wrong, but it definitely made 
the results what they are today, bringing with them 
fears and concerns about the political identity of the 
new Iraq..  In all cases, one cannot overlook the fact 
that these elections are an achievement without the 
shadow of a doubt.  As for making use of this 
achievement without falling in the trap of the false 
feeling of superiority, that is the real test that is 
going to face all the parties in the Iraqi arena." 
HALE