Author Topic: mideast (Read 221 times)

john9001 · « **on:** June 26, 2002, 06:07:16 PM »

palistine spokesperson has announced they will hold elections in jan 2003, arafat has not said if he will run for relection

OZkansas · « **Reply #1 on:** June 26, 2002, 07:19:22 PM »

Arafat won't announce that he will run. He will announce that he has already won!

Sandman · « **Reply #2 on:** June 26, 2002, 11:37:04 PM »

AFAIK, Arafat has said that he will run.

Most believe that he will win.

The real question is how Bush will treat the democratically elected leader.

Gman · « **Reply #3 on:** June 26, 2002, 11:55:27 PM »

Quote

The real question is how Bush will treat the democratically elected leader

Elected or not, it isn't very likely much will change from Arafat. He'll still hate jews, and still allow, by action or omission, the killing and deliberate targetting of women and children.

Why should Bush plan to treat him any different than he is now?

-tronski- · « **Reply #4 on:** June 27, 2002, 02:51:00 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Sandman_SBM
AFAIK, Arafat has said that he will run.

Most believe that he will win.

The real question is how Bush will treat the democratically elected leader.

I think its interesting rhetoric coming from someone who was barely elected himself dictating what constitutes an acceptable democratically elected leader. Good to see even Tony Blair isn't buying.

Tronsky

Hortlund · « **Reply #5 on:** June 27, 2002, 03:21:30 AM »

Saddam Hussein is elected. In about as fair elections as the Palestinian elections will be.

Do you think Hussein is a democratically elected leader too?

-tronski- · « **Reply #6 on:** June 27, 2002, 03:58:40 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Hortlund
Saddam Hussein is elected. In about as fair elections as the Palestinian elections will be.

Do you think Hussein is a democratically elected leader too?

Arafat's legitimacy comes from UN monitored elections in the West Bank and Gaza in January 1996 when he won nearly 90% of the vote and he didn't even need his brother to get him over the line.

Hussein isn't even remotely the same issue.

Tronsky

Hortlund · « **Reply #7 on:** June 27, 2002, 05:43:48 AM »

Tronski, there is more to an election that just the casting of votes. You might wanna check up on how easy it is for the opposition to work for instance.

Eagler · « **Reply #8 on:** June 27, 2002, 06:02:29 AM »

Pal elections = candidates checking their cars & buses for bombs every morning

Sikboy · « **Reply #9 on:** June 27, 2002, 07:41:26 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Hortlund
Saddam Hussein is elected. In about as fair elections as the Palestinian elections will be.

Do you think Hussein is a democratically elected leader too?

Hortlund,

Has Iraq had an election since Hussein slaughtered His Ba'th party cohorts in the late 70s? It was my impression that following a Soviet Model, the Party was elected, but the man was not. As in the Ba'th party controlled the government, then after his Predesessor died, Hussein held a bloodbath to clean out the party. Once he concentrated power in 1978(?) there was no longer a need for elections. Of course that doesn't mean that they didn't have elections... Sorry, slow day at work. Steam of consiousness posting here.

As far as the Palestinian elections go, at least we can expect that there will be about 1 billion NGOs running around the landscape watching the elections and looking for irregularities. If they are a sham, they will be seen as a sham.

-Sikboy