Baghdad, Jan 25: The US-led coalition has said
it would be very difficult to hold the direct elections
demanded by Iraq's Shiite Muslim hierarchy before a planned
June 30 deadline for the transfer of sovereignty.
"We Americans feel strongly about direct elections
... the only issue is timing," said Dan Senor, the senior
advisor to US civilian administrator Paul Bremer.
"There is no electoral structure in this country ...
There has not been a census in this country for some 20 years
... There is no constituent boundaries, no voter rolls," he
told a press conference yesterday.
"We consulted with a number of independent experts
who voiced the view that it is very difficult to produce all
those things, to create an environment where direct elections
can be held freely and fairly and legitimately and credibly
in a matter of three or four months."
The US spokesman defended the caucus system the
coalition is proposing for the creation of Iraq's first
post-occupation government.
"We believe that some form of elections of the
government will help protect the fairness and the legitimacy
of the process and the credibility of that government," he
said, despite the arcane, indirect nature of the system
adopted last November.
"We believe ... that the most fair, legitimate,
realistic and viable way forward in the very short term is
through the caucus system."
Bureau Report
