US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4464

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BAGHDAD 004464 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/PPD, NEA/PPA, NEA/AGS, INR/IZ, INR/P 
 
E.0. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, KPAO, IZ, Media 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI GOVERNMENT, CONSTITUTION, 
 
REFERENDUM, NATIONAL RECONCILATION; BAGHDAD 
 
SUMMARY: Discussion on the Constitution, Referendum, and 
National Reconciliation were the major editorial themes of 
the daily newspapers on October 31, 2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------- 
 
A. "The Next Election and the Responsibility of Voters" (Al- 
Fourat, 10/31) 
B. "The Attitude of the Religious Authorities" (As-Sabah, 
10/31) 
C. "The Iraqi National List. Building a Strong Iraq is the 
Goal" (Baghdad, 10/31) 
D. "This Time Our Votes Will Be Decisive" (Ad-Da'wa, 10/31) 
E. "Iraq Under Siege.!" (Az-Zaman, 10/31) 
F. "Political Alliances and Scales of Power" (Ad-Dustoor, 
10/31) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
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A. "The Next Election and the Responsibility of Voters" 
(Al-Fourat - independent, anti-coalition, published this 
front-page editorial by Jaber Mohammad Jaber) 
 
"All of us, as partners in this country, have agreed on the 
necessity of national unity but let us wait and see the 
political platforms of the lists and alliances before we 
pronounce analysis on them. We don't want the past election 
mistakes to be repeated and if the political process that 
America has marketed to us is according to its new 
definition of globalization, then the past three years of 
democratic experiments have led to many Iraqi citizens being 
well-informed--to help mitigate repeat mistakes and control 
their emotions during voting in the next elections. 
 
"Dreams and promises have been made by the former government 
calling on us to wait and judge with our mind before we 
choose candidates and lists. People are sick and tired of 
ethnic divisions and sectarianism dividing us. Therefore, 
let us abandon those and look to the political entities that 
are here to serve our country and its people-but they should 
be honest in their political platforms and should avoid 
external pressure. 
 
"If those [Shi'a] parties prepare their platforms within the 
context of Iraq's reality and without relying on religious 
names or authorities, and if they don't put their limited 
factional interests as their primary goal, then they will 
find the complete support of the people. The principle of 
putting the suitable man in the convenient position is 
considered a right step towards building a new Iraq." 
 
B. "The Attitude of the Religious Authorities" 
(As-Sabah - Iraqi Media Network, pro-coalition, published 
this front-page editorial by Mohammad Abdul Jabbar) 
 
"The electoral battle over the formation of an elected 
National Assembly began when the religious authorities 
announced they would not support any specific political 
group at the expense of other political parties. Instead, 
the religious authorities have urged wide participation in 
the election. 
 
"Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani's deputy, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Al- 
Karbala'ee, declared that the religious authorities will not 
support any political party in the upcoming election. But, 
it will urge Iraqis to participate in it; he also stressed 
that voters should freely choose their candidates. Al- 
Karbala'ee has called for the Shiites to actively 
participate in the election and criticized those who 
boycotted the referendum. On the other hand, Prime Minister 
Ibrahim Al-Ja'fari said that Al-Sistani will not support any 
specific party but that he supports the electoral process 
because it is a modern phenomenon that will ensure social 
justice. In addition, Al-Sistani will not interfere in the 
details of any electoral list. 
 
"The religious authorities are now neutral concerning the 
political competition for legislative and executive powers. 
I believe that this is a wise attitude that will distance 
the religious authorities from the daily work of politics. 
However, they are not neutral when it comes to forming the 
government since they urged citizens to participate in the 
electoral process. This is another wise position because it 
demonstrates the religious authorities' concern for all 
people without any bias towards a specific group. The 
impartiality in the political competition and the clarity of 
their position will guarantee democracy and the honesty of 
this competition. In this way, voters will negate influences 
that affect political competition. Moreover, this will 
ensure the government's neutrality in the election." 
 
C. "The Iraqi National List. Building a Strong Iraq is the 
Goal" 
(Baghdad - pro-coalition, affiliated with the Iraqi National 
Accord led by Iyad Allawi, published this front-page 
unattributed editorial) 
"The Iraqi people and members of the civilized world 
yesterday welcomed the establishment of the Iraqi National 
List which will have a big role in Iraq's future. This list 
aims to unite Iraqis and save the country from crises and 
the deterioration of security and essential services. This 
list represents a new political trend that rejects the 
regression to the dark ages of slavery. 
 
"This list will give humans the right to freely express 
their opinions without marginalizing others. We must say 
goodbye to talismans and political ploys because they are 
not suitable for the new Iraq and its noble goals; we are 
dependent upon development and creativity to build reliable 
Iraqi characteristics. Dr Iyad Allawi has confirmed that 
Iraqis need a strong Iraq so that it can play an active role 
in the region. Thus, Iraq will be a stable and prosperous 
anchor for the whole region. The Iraqi National List 
believes that all Iraqis are equal in rights and duties and 
it warns of sectarian conflicts. This list hopes to build a 
strong government that is able to respect rights and defend 
the country. 
 
"Dr. Iyad Allawi and his colleagues in this struggle now 
have a chance to make a difference in the new dawn in Iraq. 
The Iraqi National List makes its way through difficulties 
for the sake of building a new and democratic Iraq. This 
list emphasizes that it is important for Iraq to have an 
active role in the international community, Iraq also must 
have good relationships with neighboring Arab and Islamic 
countries. 
 
"The Iraqi National List, rejects sectarianism, 
marginalization and ethnic power sharing. This list relies 
on the Iraqi people and its unity. Today Iraqis hope that 
this list would win the election as it corresponds with 
their wishes and anticipations. This list has also included 
the elite of Iraq's patriotic figures." 
 
D. "This Time Our Votes Will Be Decisive" 
(Ad-Da'wa - affiliated with Ad-Da'wa (led by Al-Anzi), no 
bias, published this page-five editorial by Rasim Qassim) 
 
"The Iraqi people will head for the ballot boxes for the 
third time by the end of this year to choose a real 
representative National Assembly that will achieve their 
legitimate demands and ambitions. This time, our voting will 
be based on awareness and experience. 
 
"One year will soon pass since the first electoral process 
was held in Iraq and the Iraqi people have realized who will 
serve and provide them with decent standards of living. 
"This time, the Iraqi people's votes will not be wasted 
because they will not vote just for the sake of 
participating in the election. The Iraqi people realize that 
their votes are precious and for this reason their decision 
must be studied. 
 
"Now, after we have established the basis of the permanent 
constitution it will be the main platform for advancement. 
This constitution is the first one in Iraq's modern history 
and it will place Iraq on the route of democracy and 
security. Here, we call on our people to be loyal to Iraq 
first because this is the way to unite our country and put 
an end to the enemies of freedom and human rights. 
 
"For this reason, political parties and alliances must 
carefully select their candidates and representatives in the 
upcoming election. Patriotic Iraqi figures who want to 
compete in the election must understand that the people have 
experienced the democratic process for almost a year. 
Through this year, the Iraqi people were able to diagnose 
faults. Iraqi citizens have become experienced in political 
affairs and therefore their votes will make a difference in 
the new Iraq's history. This is the first step toward 
establishing democracy and political stability." 
 
E. "Iraq Under Siege.!" 
(Az-Zaman - independent, anti-coalition, published this back- 
page editorial by Fatih Abdul Salam (brother of the paper's 
Editor-in-Chief) 
 
"Iraq has remained under siege by the sanctions of the 
ruling regime-these sanctions have affected the people more 
than the regime. Some members of the regime have made a 
fortune through sanctions and trading. 
 
"Iraq today is not so far from the U.S. siege, because 
everything is under the control of the American occupation 
forces. No security, economic, or political agenda can move 
freely without the green light from the U.S. forces which 
number 161,000. 
 
"Iraqi politicians are under U.S. siege which rarely 
provides for the interest of Iraqis, but in reality is tied 
to the vision of politicians who need to balance their 
speech in order not to be accused of being against 
democracy, especially under the submissiveness and loyalty 
to the American vision. 
 
"Simple Iraqi citizens are daily living at the mercy of the 
U.S. military and its convoy movements which limit Iraqis to 
certain roads-if they deviate or make a mistake they may 
lose their life at the hands of frightened U.S. soldiers who 
open fire. 
 
"A complete, or near-complete, democratic experiment cannot 
be built in such a heated atmosphere because the democracy 
is not like a tribal or sectarian uprising that occurs in 
self defense. Therefore, democratic slogans are not enough 
to encourage the practice of democracy. Democracy needs a 
correct structure for ideas and ideologies in order to be 
implemented. 
 
"In fact, we are still under siege. This siege is not only 
from U.S. tanks, but also on behalf of the parties that they 
have brought with them--and they disregarded those parties' 
violation against democracy above all else." 
 
F. "Political Alliances and Scales of Power" 
(Ad-Dustoor - independent, no bias, published this front- 
page editorial by Bassim Al-Shiekh) 
 
"Changes that have occurred in political parties entering 
the next elections have dramatically revolutionized all 
views of political analysts and observers of the Iraqi 
political scene, and confirmed the everlasting fact that 
politics is the art of the possible, an art of setting 
priorities rather than rights. And that the opportunistic 
saying, `play to win' is most common among all different 
ethnic, political, and sectarian groups. 
All alliances formed today have demonstrated that 
contestants have realized their true abilities through the 
previous elections which have led them to change their game 
plan, since knowing one's ability and playing accordingly is 
the most important factor for success. 
 
"So we see that parties that ran independently in the 
previous elections, supported by an illusion based on 
inaccurate information that they were components to play the 
game unilaterally, have entered alliances to become part of 
a stronger entity. All of these changes have resulted in a 
new political chart with a certain alliance seeming to have 
a larger chance for success than others and with an 
understanding that the main requirements in the democratic 
practice is to realize the strengths and weaknesses and form 
alliance accordingly. But again, we also see many parties 
who refuse to acknowledge these facts and maintain their 
individual course that wipes out their chances of entering 
the parliament, overlooking the option of uniting their 
efforts into one channel that could lead them to success." 
 
SATTERFIELD