Iraqis to Vote Oct. 15 on Whether to Keep Saddam as President

The Associated Press ^ | Sep 8, 2002 | None

[Lockbox]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The Iraqi parliament approved Saddam Hussein's nomination for another seven-year presidential term, paving the way for Iraqis to go to the polls Oct. 15, state-run TV reported Sunday.

The National Assembly's ratification of his nomination was announced in a presidential decree signed by the Iraqi leader. Last month, the Revolutionary Command Council, Iraq's top decision-making body, nominated Saddam.

Iraqis on Oct. 15 will be asked to vote on whether they do or don't accept Saddam's presidential nomination. The last referendum was in 1995, and Saddam received 99.96 percent of the vote to continue as president.

The move comes as the United States tries to rally international support to topple Saddam's regime, which it accuses of producing weapons of mass destruction.

Saddam was first appointed president in 1979 after replacing Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, the Iraqi general who led the Baath party to power in a 1968 coup. Saddam has since held the post of the party leader, army commander and chairman of the council. Occasionally he has served as prime minister.

[Lockbox]

Wait, we may not need to invade, the Iraqi parliament may come to their senses......................NOT

[Mixer]

I don't think we will have to worry about this vote come October 15th. I think Iraq should worry if they will still be on the map that day and take it from there.

[Crusader21stCentury]

Guess what happened to that 00.04 percent that didn't vote for him.

[SeaDragon]

ROFLMAO

Like they might vote him out! This is the best joke I've heard all day.

[SeaDragon]

Exactly!

[Aric2000]

Well, when you do not have anyone running against you, when you have the army hanging out at the polling places with a gun to the backs of the heads of voters, I think that you are going to win.

That's true democracy, Iraqi style....

[Clara Lou]

Gee, I'm on pins and needles about that voting. It's highly significant, you know. /sarcasm

[Mannaggia l'America]

The Iraqi parliament approved Saddam Hussein's nomination for another seven-year presidential term, paving the way for Iraqis to go to the polls Oct. 15, state-run TV reported Sunday.

Hussein has hired James Carville and Paul Begala to run his campaign. Carville says "those evil right-wing Republicans want to tear down this president and we're not going to let that happen". The campaign's slogan is "It's building nukes, stupid."

[piasa]

In Iraq they count three-corner chads, hanging chads, pregnant chads, one-corner chads, dimples and dead people. Kind of like AlGore's idea of a perfect election.

[OldFashionedAmerican]

Shouldn't this be posted as humor?????

[Reo]

They might want to move the date up a couple of weeks as there is real possibility he won't be available by the 15th.

[tet68]

Maybe Uday will run against him.
Give the people a choice.

[Cultural Jihad]

How ludicrous. The dictator likes to call himself 'president' because he knows how powerful the ideas of true democracy are. Iraq is not a free country, and dictator Saddam is not a president.

[Cultural Jihad]

Topic added: "Political Humor/Cartoons"

[Puddleglum]

I think the headline ought to read: "Iraqis to Vote Oct. 15 to Keep Saddam as President."

[OldFashionedAmerican]

Ah, missed that one. Thanks.

[Cultural Jihad]

Hehehe. I meant to say: I added it as per your request.

[jwalsh07]

AP has totally abrogated their resonsibility as members of the press. They've gone from the sublime to the ridiculous and with this they enter a whole new realm where trolls, an hobbit's, and gargoyles roam the plains.

[Bubba_Leroy]

Gee, do you think he'll win?

[Arkinsaw]

If you wish to vote for Saddam take the green ballot and place it in the box. If you wish to vote against Saddam take the red ballot and place it into the barrel of the poll worker's AK-47, execute a 180 degree turn and kneel.