US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4962

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 004962 
 
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, Elections 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI GOVERNMENT, DECEMBER 15th 
ELECTION, TRANSPARENCY; BAGHDAD 
 
SUMMARY: The major theme in today's editorials is the 
upcoming election. 
 
Analysis: Quasi-independent As-Sabah published a front-page 
editorial, "Elections" outlining the meaning and definition 
of elections in civilized societies and the problems Iraq is 
facing in dealing with electoral fraud. The editorial noted, 
"it is not a shame to say that the current electoral battle 
has witnessed unacceptable methods but we hope the coming 
election will not witness the same infractions." 
 
The independent Democratic Al-Wifaq published a front-page 
editorial entitled "Iraq: Political Thievery and Banditry," 
criticizing the political carpetbaggers who have recently 
invaded Iraq. They are characterized as "powers that are 
loyal to the occupation. it seems that the groups that work 
with the occupation have become desperate. The Iraqi people 
are tired of those parties because they are old and our 
people need new, young, patriotic political parties," the 
editorialist argued. 
 
Al-Mutamar's page-fifteen editorials dealt with the 
election, democracy and the political process without 
specific reference to any electoral list. 
 
The KDP's At-Taakhi published a page-three editorial, "List 
730 is the List of the Federal Iraqi Country" urging the 
faithful to vote for the Kurdish list. 
 
The PUK's Al-Ittihad's page-three editorial, "The Happiness 
of Elections and the Happiness of Winning Represents Iraqi 
Will" dealt with the ecstasy Iraqis felt as their soccer 
team triumphed in the finals of the Asian championship and 
how that victory coincided with preparations Iraqis are 
making to participate in the coming election. 
 
SCIRI's mouthpiece, Al-Adala's page-three editorial, "Worry" 
predicted that the majority of people are loyal to the UIA's 
list and will vote for it in the coming election. 
 
Ad-Dawa's Al-Bayyan published its editorials on page five, 
including one final appeal entitled: "In Order to Prevent 
the Return of Tyranny Vote for the Faithful," imploring 
people to vote for the Shi'a list 555. END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------- 
 
A. "This Is How the Occupation and Government Prepare a 
Positive Environment for the Elections" (Rayat Al-Arab, 
12/12) 
B. "12-15-05" (Az-Zaman, 12/12) 
C. "Are You Going to Elect Them?" (Al-Khalaas, 12/12) 
D. "Electoral Violence and Us" (Al-Fourat, 12/12) 
E. "For Whom Are We Going to Vote?" (As-Sabah Al-Jadeed, 
12/12) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
---------------------------------------- 
 
A. "This Is How the Occupation and Government Prepare a 
Positive Environment for the Elections" 
(Rayat Al-Arab -- affiliated with the Arab Nationalist Trend 
in Iraq, anti-coalition, published this front-page 
unattributed editorial) 
 
"Urban warfare, waged by the occupation and Iraqi government 
forces, has continued. This war escalates as soon as the 
country witnesses an important event such as the elections 
or a referendum. We all know that governments work hard to 
provide suitable environments for the elections but we have 
a different procedure in Iraq. 
 
"During the last election, the city of Fallujah was invaded 
and this attack caused patriotic groups, and most Iraqis, to 
boycott it. In addition, before the referendum, the cities 
of Anbar, Tal Afar and Sadr City were attacked. Similarly 
today, the provinces of Baghdad, Anbar and Salah ad-Din have 
been invaded. Moreover, the government announced on 
Wednesday that martial law was imposed in the provinces of 
Anbar and Ninawa. 
 
"The occupation and the Iraqi government must be responsible 
for providing a suitable environment to make the political 
process successful. They must work hard to ease the 
situation and reduce tension. Furthermore, they should 
release prisoners and detainees. They should also make 
everybody feel that it is important to participate in the 
political process. Arrests, raids and killing people mean 
that the occupation and the government do not care about the 
widespread participation of all Iraqi people. It seems that 
there are specific groups that insist on preventing 
important segments of Iraqis from participation in the 
political process. 
 
"We call on an immediate cessation of all military 
operations. We also call for occupation forces to withdraw 
from cities and villages. Additionally, all detainees in the 
prisons of the occupation, Ministry of Interior and all 
other secret and illegal prisons must be released. This will 
ensure Iraqis that there will be an honest election. 
Otherwise, the upcoming election will be a carbon copy of 
the former election and the referendum where people's 
willpower was forged and the process was a real farce." 
 
B. "12-15-05" 
(Az-Zaman - independent, published this page-three editorial 
by Sa'ad Abbas) 
 
"Regardless of which electoral list will win the election, 
it is important for us that voters should win this election. 
If voters win the election, this means that they chose the 
best and most qualified candidates whose actions speak 
louder than words or slogans. Perhaps, there are many 
candidates we know as friends or relatives but this does not 
mean they are qualified. For this reason, I call on voters 
to elect candidates who deserve their votes. 
 
"We must populate the next parliament with honest and 
qualified figures. At the same time, we can make it a circus 
that includes washouts and those who call for sectarianism 
and extremism. I think we must elect candidates who care 
about our present and future. We must choose the candidate 
who believes in the principles of citizenship and rights of 
citizens. The next four years must make us think twice 
before we make our decision in the election. These four 
years can be successful and safe or they can facilitate the 
current corruption, fears and chaos. These four years will 
not be good unless moderate, democratic and honest--and not 
radical, tyrannical and corrupt politicians occupy seats in 
the parliament. 
 
"Iraq has become a desert and we have to elect those who can 
restore its gardens and orchards. Disease and malnutrition 
has spread in Iraq and for this reason, we must elect those 
who can cure us and provide food for the people. Let us 
elect those who are not afraid of terrorists, robbers or 
racists. Electoral lists do not know who will really elect 
them. However, the voters will decide who to vote for after 
they stand before the ballot boxes. Then, voters will forget 
about electoral ads and posters and they will remember one 
important issue, which is to vote for candidates who deserve 
their votes." 
 
C. "Are You Going to Elect Them?" 
(Al-Khalaas -- no bias, affiliated with National Salvation 
Front led by Assem Ayyed Al-Jibouri, published this page-two 
editorial by Samir Ghaleb) 
 
"Some candidates have announced their electoral platforms 
through press conferences or parties in palaces. These 
parties coincide with dozens of Iraqi victims who are dying 
on a daily basis through ugly violence. It seems that those 
candidates do not care about what is happening in the 
country. They did not tire themselves to leave their palaces 
inside the Green Zone to look after our deprived people in 
the streets. 
 
"All we have seen is just words and slogans from those 
candidates who are not able to achieve their promises and 
the Iraqi people know this fact very well. Electoral slogans 
and promises have not addressed how to end the current 
bloodshed in Iraq. On the other hand, these slogans promised 
people the removal of trash from cities and the capture of 
robbers who robbed Iraq in the past. However, those slogans 
do not speak about capturing the current robbers in Iraq. 
 
"Amid these electoral promises and slogans, candidates only 
care about how to absorb unemployment, defend the rights of 
women and insist on deba'athification. It seems that most of 
the candidates promise citizens they'll fight ethnic power 
sharing, sectarianism, ensuring the unity of Iraq and 
expelling the occupation from the country. But, the reality 
shows that those candidates do not achieve their promises 
whether they win or lose the election. 
 
"Finally, we say to those candidates that statistics have 
shown fifty Iraqis are killed daily. Whereas, those 
candidates who aspire to gain a seat in the parliament do 
not care about Iraqi blood and they do not work to stop this 
bloodshed. If this bloodshed stopped, the trade of those 
candidates would be lost. Therefore, every honest Iraqi must 
think twice before giving their votes because they must 
elect the best and most honest candidate." 
 
D. "Electoral Violence and Us" 
(Al-Fourat - independent, anti-coalition, published this 
page-two editorial by Muhammad Mahdi Hussein) 
 
"We as Iraqis should admit that we do enjoy democratic 
traditions and we have not experienced real elections yet. 
We used to have false elections where we would see 99. 99% 
votes for one candidate or party. For this reason, our 
political entities could not comprehend the meaning of the 
electoral process, which calls for respecting other people's 
opinions. 
 
"Some of those political parties have started to liquidate 
their political opponents. Other entities want to defame one 
another. Moreover, we have started to see some groups rip 
down electoral posters and pictures of other candidates. The 
democratic experiment which Iraqis are trying to establish 
today will cost much blood and effort. The electoral 
violence represents wrong behavior that aims to destroy the 
political process and rebuilding of Iraq. 
 
"We would be happy if everybody called for the unity of the 
country. One day, one of Napoleon's hired spies tried to 
shake hands with him, but Napoleon refused to shake his hand 
and offered him a sum of money instead, saying, `whoever 
sells his country does not deserve handshaking.' Similarly, 
whoever thinks that making relationships with other 
countries at the expense of their country's interest must 
understand that Iraqis will not be deceived any longer." 
 
E. "For Whom Are We Going to Vote?" 
(As-Sabah Al-Jadeed - independent, no bias, published this 
page-four editorial by Hasaballah Yahia) 
 
"Who are those who suddenly announced themselves as 
candidates for the upcoming election? How could they dare to 
present their platforms to us while they have no skills, 
qualifications or [history of] struggle? How can we elect 
someone we do not know anything about? We do not know if 
those candidates are honest or qualified to undertake senior 
governmental positions. 
 
"In fact, we do not know how such candidates will be able to 
serve people while they care only about their own interests. 
However, today, we can choose freely the honest and 
qualified candidate. We must not mistakenly follow false 
electoral slogans. We must pay more attention to our 
choices. 
 
"We must choose the candidate who will be able to give, 
build and love. We must elect the candidate who can achieve 
dreams of living in the peace that we aspire. We must select 
a prosperous and safe life and finally, we have to choose 
the right way of life." 
 
KHALILZAD