IRAQELE2.CBS 01/02/05 9:23 PM-DLR   1:41
The Osgood File.  Sponsored by ________.  This is Dave Ross.  On the CBS Radio Network.
The Iraqi elections are still on track.   And as I was looking over the election procedure, I realized there's been so much reporting about all the violence going on, that we never hear about the election process itself - which is about as far from an American style election as you can get.
More after this:
(SPOT)
What's strange about the pre-election attacks in Iraq is that they are trying to screw up a process that would give minorities a substantial say in the new government.  And certainly a lot more power than if this were an American style election.
Because this is definitely NOT an American style election.
For example, Iraqis are NOT voting by district.
Instead, everybody gets a chance to vote for ANY party - and talk about choices - the ballots will list more than 100 different parties.
And unlike the winner-take-all-system here, representation in Iraq will be proportional.
So, if a party wins 50% of the vote nationwide, it gets 50% of the seats.  But if it wins 5% of the vote, instead of getting shut out, it gets 5% of the seats.
Since there are 275 seats in the assembly, under this system, any party getting as little as .3% of the vote is guaranteed a seat.   RALPH NADER could win!
To fill those seats, each party keeps a list of qualified candidates names, and after the results are in, the winning parties assign names from their list, in order, until their allotted seats are filled.
Oh yes - one more thing.  TO assure that women are represented, every third name on the party lists - has to be a woman.   Yup - Iraqi Affirmative action.
So the insurgents may just be hurting themselves.  If you want a system that gives minority voices a vote, this is it.
In fact, I hear some academics have suggested using the same kind of system right HERE in the US.   To which I can only say, our military is good, but it's not that good.   The Osgood File.  Dave Ross.  On the CBS Radio Network.  ~C:\works\files\IRAQELE2.CBS