No elections will be credible while occupation continues

[kpete]

Harith al-Dari
Thursday December 15, 2005
The Guardian

No elections will be credible while occupation continues

Iraq's current political process will not solve the crisis. Only a US and British pullout and a UN sponsored poll can do that.

What is the solution? The cause of the problem, the source of the trouble, is the occupation which has brought all this upon Iraq and the Iraqis. This has to be eliminated. But the US administration remains committed to its occupation and insistent on pushing ahead with a political process that is entirely without credibility.

This solution must be based, first, on an announcement by the US and its allies of a timetable for withdrawing their troops. Second, it would entail replacing the occupation forces with a UN force whose main task would be to fill the security void. This would be followed, thirdly, by the formation of an interim Iraqi government for six months under the supervision of the UN in order to conduct genuine parliamentary elections in which all parts of the Iraqi population would take part. Finally, the duly elected Iraqi government would take charge of the task of rebuilding the country's civil and military institutions.

Nothing will work in Iraq unless the root of the problem is addressed: the occupation must end.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1667430,00.html

[bigtree]

1. I'm just sayin'

know what I'm sayin'?

[AllegroRondo]

2. Thats what * said about the Lebannon elections

earlier this year. They couldn't have fair elections while still under occupation by Syria.

Anyone have links to the quotes for that?

[bigtree]

3. here

"I don't think you can have free (parliamentary) elections with the Syrian troops there."

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=13191