VOTE EARLY/VOTE OFTEN:

Allawi, Sistani dominate pre-election campaign (The Jordan Times, January 10, 2005)

"Vote for the Iraqi list and Dr. Iyad Allawi for a strong leadership and a secure homeland," says a woman's voice at the end of a 50-second television spot featuring the country's interim prime minister.

In Iraq's budding experience with democracy, Allawi enjoys some of the advantages of the incumbent, even if he was appointed only for seven months to steer the country towards the January 30 vote.

But on the streets of Baghdad and in the Shiite heartland in the centre and south, a turbaned white-bearded cleric looms large.

Grand Ayotollah Ali Al Sistani, the spiritual leader of the country's majority Shiites, is not running for office but has emerged as the kingmaker after he blessed the United Iraqi Alliance, a grouping of political and religious parties, some of which advocate the creation of an Islamic state. [...]

Allawi's charm campaign started in December right after the end of a major US-led assault against insurgents in the city of Fallujah, west of Baghdad.

First it was a show entitled "Meet the Official" on the government-owned Al Iraqiya during which callers complained about everything from flooded sewage systems to the aggressive way US soldiers drive around Baghdad in their armoured vehicles. This was followed by a message to Iraqis on New Year's eve during which he told them 2005 would be "decisive."

This picked up momentum over the past week with advertisements in pro-Allawi papers and a spot aired on privately-owned Sharqiya in which Allawi introduces his credentials as a surgeon.

"When we graduate as doctors we take an oath to heal people and ease their suffering, and that's why we can't just stand and watch the injustice and tyranny that befell Iraq," he says as his image is alternated with footage of children, wailing women, Iraqi soldiers carrying the coffins of their slain comrades and the swearing-in ceremony of his interim government in June.

"Allawi is the star and Sistani wrote the script," jokes Azzam Saleh, 47, a television director as he stands outside the famous Shahbandar coffee house in the Rashid neighbourhood.

He says he will vote for Allawi, a secular Shiite, because that suits his beliefs.

Azzam is handed a poster for the list of Samir Sumaidiy, a secular Sunni Muslim, who was a member of the Governing Council formed right after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime and dissolved after Allawi took over.

He examines the slogan "freedom, order and security" of Sumaidiy's National Democratic Coalition.

"This guy has it the other way around it should be security first and freedom last," says Saleh.

Given the influence that the Ayatollah was going to wield there's no reason this election couldn't have been held in 2003. The great lesson of Afghanistan/Iraq/Palestine is that there's a thirst for democracy within Islam that's only held back by domestic tyranny and external bigotry.

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 10, 2005 8:34 AM