Say Anything Blog

ABC News - Iraq's deeply divided Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds voted in large numbers on a new constitution Saturday a referendum mostly free of insurgent violence and aimed at establishing democracy after decades of Saddam Hussein's repressive rule.

In the south, Shiite women in head-to-toe veils and men emerged from the poll stations flashing victory signs with fingers stained with violet ink, apparently responding in mass to the call by their top cleric to support the charter.

But in Sunni regions both in Baghdad and several key heavily Sunni provinces the surprisingly high turnout seemed to consist largely of Iraqis voting "no" because of fears the charter would set in stone the Shiite domination they fear.

"The constitution is a sign of civilization," Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said after casting his ballot. "This constitution has come after heavy sacrifices. It is a new birth."

Overall turnout was about 61 percent and surpassed 66 percent in seven of Iraq's 18 provinces, including key Sunni Arab-majority ones, according to initial estimates, election officials said Saturday.

Were I a gambling man I’d be willing to wager that the turnout for this vote is higher than America’s turnout for the Presidential election back in November.

LONDON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday that Iraqis had probably approved a U.S.-backed draft constitution in a historic referendum that she predicted would reduce insurgent violence.

"Most people assume on the ground that it probably has passed," Rice told reporters during a visit to London.

The top U.S. diplomat hailed the turnout, particularly in Sunni Arab areas, where she said voter numbers had roughly doubled compared with parliamentary elections in January.

Basing her figures on reports from U.S. officials in Iraq, Rice said the overall turnout was about 63-64 percent, which was also higher than in January.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United Nations hailed Iraq's constitutional referendum on Saturday as "incredibly peaceful," with few infringements of procedure.

"The process has gone smoothly and well from a technical point of view," said Carina Perelli, the head of the U.N. team providing technical assistance to the Iraqi government.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan also praised the smooth running of the referendum.

"The secretary general pays tribute to the courage of the Iraqi people and congratulates the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, as well as the thousands of Iraqi election workers and monitors, on having organised and carried out the referendum in such challenging circumstances," a U.N. spokesman said in a statement.

After a parliamentary vote in January in which more than 40 people were killed in insurgent attacks during Iraq's first free election in decades, the referendum was almost bloodless:

"Overall, if you compare it to January it has been incredibly peaceful," Perelli said.