Elections Update

By Rachelle Bowden in News on Sep 27, 2004 8:37AM

Colin Powell seemed to step out of line with the administration's official platform on Iraq yesterday, admitting on ABC's "This Week" that the insurgency in Iraq is getting worse.

Powell's statement comes a day after the top American commander, Lt.Gen. Dave Barno, The U.N.-Afghan election commission reported that 10.5 million Afghans have registered to vote in the election that Interim President Hamid Karzai is expected to win in a field of 18 candidates. A decision on adding Ralph Nader to that list is still pending.

But back to Iraq! Powell said that while violence will increase as the Iraqi presidential election draws closer, he is confident that the country can be stabilized by January allowing for "...full, free, fair elections across the whole country." However, Gen. John Abizaid, head of U.S. Central Command, said yesterday that country-wide elections may not be possible and would be held "...in the vast majority of the country."

And heyyyyyy, we have a little election of our own right here at home on November 2. But
according to Jimmy Carter even we may not have full and free elections. In a commentary today in The Washington Post he said that a number of basic international requirements for a fair election are not being met. He said Florida lacks, "A nonpartisan electoral commission or a trusted and nonpartisan official who will be responsible for organizing and conducting the electoral process before, during and after the actual voting takes place," and "Uniformity in voting procedures, so that all citizens, regardless of their social or financial status, have equal assurance that their votes are cast in the same way and will be tabulated with equal accuracy."

Man oh man, three national elections in four months. We've got our work cut out. (Thanks, Sam!)