The Vote

... it's a great day in free Iraq.

Some came on crutches, others walked for miles then struggled to read the ballot, but across Iraq, millions turned out to vote Sunday, defying insurgents who threatened a bloodbath.

Suicide bombs and mortars killed at least 27 people, but voters still came out in force for the first multi-party poll in 50 years. In some places they cheered with joy at their first chance to cast a free vote, in others they shared chocolates.

Even in Falluja, the Sunni city west of Baghdad that was a militant stronghold until a U.S. assault in November, a steady stream of people turned out, confounding expectations. Lines of veiled women clutching their papers waited to vote.

"We want to be like other Iraqis, we don't want to always be in opposition," said Ahmed Jassim, smiling after he voted.

27 dead vs millions voting? Looks like the terrorists are really losing. Each death is obviously tragic, but this is still good news on the whole.
The turnout?

An electoral commission official said 72 per cent of registered eligible voters had turned out. While no figures were provided to back up the claim and many Sunnis would not have registered to vote, it was clear that millions of Iraqis took part in the country's first free elections for more than 50 years.

Heavy voter participation was reported in the Shia south and in the Kurdish north, and in Baghdad the turnout was 95 per cent. And even in troubled cities such as Baquba correspondents said polling stations had been full all day despite five bombings and a mortar attack.

I will remind readers that 60% of eligible voters voted in November's election to re-elect George Bush.
72% is even better than anyone could have hoped for.

A great day indeed.

(photo caption & link)

Freedom on the March Posted by AlexC at January 30, 2005 9:00 AM