The following is an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government:
Terrorists in Iraq are trying to disrupt elections scheduled for January 30th. Iyad Allawi, Iraq's interim prime minister, says that several groups are involved in an effort to keep Iraqis from voting:
"Some mixture of groups, including Baathists, including ex-regime elements, including foreign terrorists. And the investigations are still on-going." Despite the terrorist attacks, more than fourteen-million Iraqis have registered to vote. Iraqis living in other countries will also be able to cast their ballots. Some one-hundred coalitions and parties are fielding nearly nineteen-thousand candidates for the two-hundred-seventy-five-seat Iraqi national assembly, eighteen provincial councils, and the Kurdistan national assembly.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan says the election "will be an historic moment for the people of Iraq":
"This election that will take place on January 30th is one of three elections that will take place in the country over the course of the next year. This will be to elect a transitional national government. That transitional government will draft a constitution. Then they'll also put in place the leadership for that transitional government. They'll draft a constitution, the people will vote on that constitution, and then, at the end of the year, the people will be able to elect their. . . .permanent representative government."
Most Iraqis want a future that is based on democratic values and freedom. And they will take a major step when they go to the polls on January 30th.
