Poll shows most Iraqis want to have elections on schedule

 

By Sameer Nasser

 

Azzaman, 2005-01-13

 

Two thirds of Iraqis would like to have the elections on schedule, according to a survey by a Baghdad University’s research center.

 

The poll’s finding comes amid calls to have the January 30 elections postponed on grounds of insecurity.

 

The survey found that 7.1 percent of Iraqis reject deferring the elections while 28.9 percent see January 30 as “an unsuitable date.”

 

The poll conducted by the Psychology Research Center had interviewed 1,016 people from Baghdad, home to more than five million Iraqis.

 

Of those questioned, 64.2% said they believed the elections “are the best way to select a new government.”

 

When they were asked whether the elections will bring stability and peace to the country, 34.3% said any new government will find it hard to restore normalcy.

 

However, more than half of those surveyed said they thought security measures taken to protect the vote were inadequate, while more than 44% of those questioned said elections could be held under current security conditions.

 

More than half of the respondents (59%) agreed that the January vote would boost the democratic process and lead to enhanced popular participation in decision-making.

 

More than half of those surveyed (54%) doubted whether the elections will be held in a fair and free manner and almost a similar percentage expressed dissatisfaction with the Electoral Commissioned.

 

On international supervision, 68.1% said it was vital for the January vote to be conducted under the eyes of independent monitors while only 31.1% said their presence was unnecessary.

 

Almost tow thirds of those surveyed said they believed the elections will bring “qualified officials” to lead the country.

 

But there were fears of elections rigging.

 

More than 39% of those polled said they were “almost certain” that there will be large scale malpractices.

 

More than half of the respondents (54.9%) said the elections will bring “economic prosperity while 45.1% thought the opposite.

 

According to the survey 4.2% of Iraqis think elections “are a concept which is strange to our traditions” while the rest believed Iraqis can handle their affairs in a democratic way.

 

More than half of the respondents said there was no problem to have democratic elections under foreign occupation.

 

However the majority of those polled (67.4%) believed that it was necessary to “have all areas of Iraq taking part” if the elections were to succeed.