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Staal, Raised in Basrah, Returns to Iraq as Election Monitor
FrontLines - March 2009
Decades after Tom Staal spent his childhood in Basrah, Iraq, he returned as a USAID election monitor in February to observe peaceful, provincial elections that saw the rise of secular
parties committed to building
a new, more democratic Iraq.
Staal also served in 2003 and 2004 as head of the USAID office in Basrah, based at the British-run airport outside of the city.
“This time I visited areas I could not visit in 2003,” said Staal, noting that violence has been greatly reduced. He was able to monitor elections in a Shiite stronghold and Basrah Kadima, a warren of tiny, ancient streets.
“The voting was normal—well managed and kind of like voting here in America,” he said. “Security was good. They shut down the country to traffic.”
Only official cars were allowed on streets and most shops closed for the day as people
walked to vote in schools and government offices.
The Iraqi army created a security perimeter 50 to 100 yards around the schools, searching all who entered. Inside, Iraqi police had a second perimeter, and inside that was a third perimeter run by the Iraqi Election Commission.
Each polling station had a list of the roughly 3,000 registered voters for the district. If names were not on the list, one could produce
identity cards and still vote.
Representatives of some of the political parties were allowed inside the station to observe that voting was free and fair. Afterwards, voters dipped a finger
into purple dye to prevent re-voting.
Staal noted that thousands of election posters were on the walls as he drove around the city as an official election monitor and that the election process itself maintained high standards. An Iranian consul was unable to drive around and observe the election because he neglected to arrange for it in advance as the election rules mandated.
“The results are that the leading
party lost in all areas of the country—it shows people want change,” said Staal. “And secular
parties won over sectarians. Pro-Iran parties did not do well.”
The Dawa party of Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki—seen as pro-American—did well, capturing
nine of the 14 provinces voting. A lot of tribal candidates won in the mainly Sunni Anbar Province. In most cases, no party won a majority and coalitions will be formed to govern.
The provincial councils will appoint the governors but power over the budget, taxes, and even the police remains with the central
government’s ministries and their provincial representatives—
at least for now.
USAID, noted Staal, assisted the elections with training and other help. The Agency also helped the provinces lobby for the law that created the new, de-centralized system of provincial councils.
★ - B.B.
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