Iraq - Low turnout for Iraq expat vote

Recently I contrasted how the BBC reported on the Palestinian elections versus the Iraqi elections and noted how they are cheerleaders for the Palestinians while downplaying the Iraqis. Later I posted a more detailed look at the BBC's unwavering support for the Palestinians.

I also posted about the BBC's despair at America's success in bringing the Iraq's their first free elections in nearly 50 years. That BBC article was headlined "Grey day dawns for Iraqi voters". Be sure to read that article before reading the next doom and gloom article from the BBC.

Today the BBC continues to downplay the Iraqi elections with this story headlined "Low turnout for Iraq expat vote".

Keep a few things in mind as you read the BBC article.

The decision to allow the expat vote was only made recently and there hasn't been enough time to set up a proper system so all who want to vote can. For example there are only 3 places in Britain to vote, you have to register first (to validate your eligibility) and then you have to return to vote. Not a great system but a start.

Registration started on Monday and continued through the week. Now that the weekend is here we may see a late surge as people are off work and able to travel.

The first thing the BBC does in this article is to set us up for a let down by setting the bar high, very high.

The number of Iraqis voting abroad was predicted to be high, but with just three days to go before registration ends, turnout is surprisingly low.

By whom, how did they arrive at the figure and how "high"? By none other thanThe BBC themselves! And here is how high, at least for the UK.

Later this month tens of thousands of UK-based Iraqis are expected to vote in the first elections since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Notice the BBC's 2 year benchmark of "since the fall of Saddam Hussein" instead of the more accurate in nearly 50 years.

The International organization for Migration's out-of-country vote programme has ensured it can cater for more than one million expatriate Iraqis.

That is the number world wide not just in Britain.


The set up continues with a chart showing the "Number of Iraqis living in 14 nations where voting is to be held". What the BBC doesn't tell you is out of this number how many are actually eligible to vote.

For example, the BBC quote the number of Iraqis living in the UK at 250,000. But of that number just over half, 150,000, are eligible to vote.

This is the set up and now comes the downfall.

But as of Wednesday evening, only 67,760 people had registered to vote in centres set up in 14 countries.

The BBC want you to think, so what if the US did manage to bring down Saddam's evil regime and bring freedom to the Iraqi people, no one is going to vote in this rigged yankee election anyway.

Once again, thanks to the internet and bloggers like your humble servant, we don't have to take the BBC's bullshit anymore.

The International organization for Migration's out-of-country vote programme website tells a vastly different story than the BBC. No surprise there.

The BBC article is from Friday and they quote a figure of "only" 67,760. But the IOM's webpage shows that as of Thursday the total was 93847 and since Iraqi expats are registering at the rate of 25,000 per day the total on Friday could be 161,607 or more; nearly 100,000 more than the BBC figure!

And that 25,000 per day was during the week. Who knows how many will register over the weekend and the program has been extended for two days until next Tuesday.

Given that there was little time to set the program up, there are few places to register in each country and you have to travel to the site twice, what would a good result be? 20%? 30%? Who knows? I'm sure the BBC doesn't. It has never been done before.

Contrast how the Washington Post characterize the Iraqi elections as the "first free election in half a century", with The BBC's "Later this month tens of thousands of UK-based Iraqis are expected to vote in the first elections since the fall of Saddam Hussein."

Also contrast this Scotsman article with The BBC article.
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