Post election analysis

Ali has some thoughts about the election, particularly with regard to the reported numbers, which he thinks underestimate the percentage of registered voters who actually cast ballots.

In the end I'd like to point out something about the turn out that may have been missed. Outside Iraq the number of eligible voters depended on rough estimations while the registered voters' number became known after the elections. So the turn out outside Iraq was correctly calculated among registered voters not eligible, as this last one remains not well identified.

However, inside Iraq the system depended on the food ration coupons which contained not just the names of Iraqis inside Iraq, from which the eligible voters' number was calculated, but also so many Iraqis outside Iraq and some dead even! All those above 18 that are enlisted in the food ration coupons were considered registered voters. I and all I know did not have to register. We just received our ballot that contained our family members' names who are above 18 that are enlisted in our food ration coupon including my sister's name who left Iraq for more than a year and came back just few months ago. We never reported her departure so did most families who had their sons and daughters leaving Iraq after 1991 fearing interrogation or even punishment as it was seen as an unpatriotic act!

In other words, it's likely that the voter turnout was even higher than reported.

Ali also discusses the winners and losers, pointing out the religious parties did not win a large enough majority to run roughshod over the rest of the country. He also celebrates his experience, even though they didn't gain any seats.

All in all it's an interesting analysis of the election.