Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=12/20/2004

TYPE=EDITORIAL

NUMBER=0-11778

TITLE=EDITORIAL: IRAQI ELECTION

INTERNET=Yes

CONTENT=THIS EDITORIAL IS BEING RELEASED FOR USE BY ALL SERVICES.

Anncr: Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government:

Voice: More than thirteen-million Iraqis are registered to vote in national assembly elections scheduled for January 30th. The voter registration list was prepared by Iraq's Independent Electoral Commission. Iraqis had until December 15th to register.

Election officials say that candidates from more than two-hundred-forty political parties are campaigning for seats on Iraq's two-hundred-seventy-five member national assembly. The assembly will select government officials and draft a constitution.

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher says that Iraqis are working hard to prepare for "free, fair and transparent elections":

(ACT :23 - DALET: POLICY/ACTUALITIES) "There are thousands of Iraqis already working for the electoral commission. They've already said they welcome independent international election observers and have issued public invitations to national and international election monitors such as the Arab League, the Islamic Conference, the Organization of African Unity, the Organization of American States, the European Union [and] the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe." (END ACT)

"God willing, the elections will be pure and honest," says Ali Faraj, an Iraqi from Baghdad. Mr. Faraj says he hopes the elections "will be held in the name of the whole Iraqi people, with no differences between Iraq's sects."

Anncr: That was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government. If you have a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A, Washington, D-C, 20237, U-S-A. You may also comment -- and view all our current editorials -- at the V-O-A Editorials home page: www-dot-voanews-dot-com-slash-editorials.