Iraq Elections
Will they take place or not?
By Caroline Evans
While American men and women
continue defeating the evil forces in Iraq, great accomplishments
have been made. Libraries have expanded, womens centers have grown,
airports have been opened, and 120,000 Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds
have been trained to protect Iraq. These are only a few of the
many accomplishments being done. Yet, the greatest accomplishment
might be the elections in Iraq.
The elects are scheduled for January 30. Over 5,000 Iraqi candidates
have been registered to be on the ballot. The United Nations spokesman,
Fred Eckhard, assured everyone that no possible candidates were
rejected. Over 6,000 Iraqi electoral workers have been trained.
Yet despite the major accomplishments being done in Iraq, some
people remain pessimistic. Many believe that a “quick”
election will not result in a stable government. Others believe
that to aim for a Jeffersonian Democracy is setting the bar to
high. Many Americans believe that elections will not even take
place! The fear is that violence will rise on the days leading
to the election, scaring people away. Even if this doesn’t
scare some, others are concerned for the possibility of a lack
of security on election day. These factors could make the elections
a failure.
Optimistic people do exist. Many Iraqis do want to vote no matter
what. This election will be the first democratic election in Iraq’s
history. Many Iraqis want to be a part of this monumental experience.
Five thousand candidates are on the ballot. This shows that the
people are serious. The situation in Iraq regarding the increase
in violence has died down. The United Nations and the United States
have trained people to be on security on January 30. Iraq is safer
than it was two years ago.
No matter if the elections happen or not, one thing is true: With
the help of American, Iraq is far more better than it was under
the rule of Saddam Hussein.
