Iraq vote turnout may exceed 10 million

[sabra]

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/BA9FB67F-74A2-4609-AED5-8BEAE587CC9A.htm


Iraq vote turnout may exceed 10 million


Turnout in Iraq's constitutional referendum may have reached 10 million voters, or nearly two thirds of those registered, a member of Iraq's Electoral Commission said after polls closed.

"I think it could be more than 10 million, I think, I hope," Farid Ayar, one of seven commissioners on the Electoral Commission, said on Saturday.

"I was thinking that maybe we could get around 11 million voters. But Iraqis are getting more used to going and voting now, so perhaps it was a little bit quieter ... and it was Ramadan," he said, referring to the Muslim fasting month.

If 10 million of the eligible 15.5 million voters cast ballots, that would give a turnout of around 65%, higher than the 58% recorded in January's election, the first held after Saddam Hussein's overthrow.

[MADem]

1. Diebold, supporting Democracy around the world!!!!! nt

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. After reading other reports.....

BULLSHIT!

[VegasWolf]

3. Bush says, "It's a miracle!!"

[babylonsister]

4. What would Al Jazeera gain by inflating the numbers? nt

[Balbus]

6. Nothing.

Al Jazeera is no friend of the U.S. so would have nothing to gain by inflating the numbers.

[Spazito]

7. They are simply reporting what Iraqi officials are saying

It is the Iraqi officials who are inflating the numbers, no surprise there. They have their talking points in good order.

[fujiyama]

5. If it works

fine.

If it doesn't, I don't care. It's time to get the troops outta there!