Nbadan
01-31-2005, 05:45 PM
BAGHDAD, Jan 31 (IPS) - Voting in Baghdad was linked with receipt of food rations, several voters said after the Sunday poll.
Many Iraqis said Monday that their names were marked on a list provided by the government agency that provides monthly food rations before they were allowed to vote.
”I went to the voting centre and gave my name and district where I lived to a man,” said Wassif Hamsa, a 32-year-old journalist who lives in the predominantly Shia area Janila in Baghdad. ”This man then sent me to the person who distributed my monthly food ration.”
Mohammed Ra'ad, an engineering student who lives in the Baya'a district of the capital city reported a similar experience.
Ra'ad, 23, said he saw the man who distributed monthly food rations in his district at his polling station. ”The food dealer, who I know personally of course, took my name and those of my family who were voting,” he said. ”Only then did I get my ballot and was allowed to vote.”
”Two of the food dealers I know told me personally that our food rations would be withheld if we did not vote,” said Saeed Jodhet, a 21-year-old engineering student who voted in the Hay al-Jihad district of Baghdad.
Dahrjamailiraq (http://www.dahrjamailiraq.com/hard_news/archives/hard_news/000192.php)
I read about this yesterday on Riverbend's blog (http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/), but since it was still unsubstantiated, I didn't post it, but this story seems to back up what she wrote about the elections...
She said, "People in many areas are being told that if they don’t vote- Sunnis and Shia alike- the food and supply rations we are supposed to get monthly will be cut off. We’ve been getting these rations since the beginning of the nineties and for many families, it’s their main source of sustenance. What sort of democracy is it when you FORCE people to go vote for someone or another they don’t want?"
We know from this Washington Post article that Food Ration lists were used for voter rolls.
"Election officials are using Iraq's food ration accounts as a master list for voter rolls. With last month's food ration, each household received a tally of residents recorded as age 18 or over. If the list was accurate, no action was required. If it wasn't, the head of household was asked to make a correction at a local election office."
Many Iraqis said Monday that their names were marked on a list provided by the government agency that provides monthly food rations before they were allowed to vote.
”I went to the voting centre and gave my name and district where I lived to a man,” said Wassif Hamsa, a 32-year-old journalist who lives in the predominantly Shia area Janila in Baghdad. ”This man then sent me to the person who distributed my monthly food ration.”
Mohammed Ra'ad, an engineering student who lives in the Baya'a district of the capital city reported a similar experience.
Ra'ad, 23, said he saw the man who distributed monthly food rations in his district at his polling station. ”The food dealer, who I know personally of course, took my name and those of my family who were voting,” he said. ”Only then did I get my ballot and was allowed to vote.”
”Two of the food dealers I know told me personally that our food rations would be withheld if we did not vote,” said Saeed Jodhet, a 21-year-old engineering student who voted in the Hay al-Jihad district of Baghdad.
Dahrjamailiraq (http://www.dahrjamailiraq.com/hard_news/archives/hard_news/000192.php)
I read about this yesterday on Riverbend's blog (http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/), but since it was still unsubstantiated, I didn't post it, but this story seems to back up what she wrote about the elections...
She said, "People in many areas are being told that if they don’t vote- Sunnis and Shia alike- the food and supply rations we are supposed to get monthly will be cut off. We’ve been getting these rations since the beginning of the nineties and for many families, it’s their main source of sustenance. What sort of democracy is it when you FORCE people to go vote for someone or another they don’t want?"
We know from this Washington Post article that Food Ration lists were used for voter rolls.
"Election officials are using Iraq's food ration accounts as a master list for voter rolls. With last month's food ration, each household received a tally of residents recorded as age 18 or over. If the list was accurate, no action was required. If it wasn't, the head of household was asked to make a correction at a local election office."