I mentioned the fact that there were very strong rumors in Iraq that were putting people under pressure to go and vote. Khalid, my brother living in Baghdad, told me about this a week ago, and I found an article on the Washington Post mentioning it too.
The Washington Post published another piece containing a confession from an Iraqi official saying: "Even though we spread a rumor in the city saying anyone who doesn't vote will be deprived of their food ration, only 10 people voted . . . mostly old men." said Khalaf Muhammed, 43, the electoral commission official in charge of a polling station in the city's center -- who acknowledged spreading the false rumor to try to lure voters.
I found the rumor itself mentioned in many news sites and blogs, The Christian Science Monitor mentioned this in a pro-election story, The family has heard a rumor that those who do not vote will not receive a new food ration card, the document held by every Iraqi family that is being used to form the voter lists.
In The Sunday Times, Unlike Suhar, Suheila now lives in penury on a pension equal to about £12 a month. Like many impoverished Iraqis, she says she has been threatened that unless she votes she will not receive her monthly food ration. She said: "We are all due to die [someday]. I am not afraid of being killed by a bomb or a shell, but I would hate to die of hunger. But if I do not go out and vote they will take my ration [book] away.
My friend, Dahr Jamail, said the same too. But some Iraqis still say they will vote. "I'll vote because I can't afford to have my food ration cut," said Amin Hajar, 52, who owns a small auto garage in Baghdad. "There is a rumour that if we don't vote our ration will be stopped. And if that happened, I and my family would starve to death". He said that when he picked up his monthly food ration recently, he was forced to sign a form saying he had picked up his voter registration. He believes that the government may use this to track whether he votes or not. This rumor has circulated broadly around Baghdad even though there appears to be no truth in it.
Riverbend mentioned this a couple of weeks ago too, People in many areas are being told that if they don't vote- Sunnis and Shia alike- the food and supply rations we are supposed to get monthly will be cut off. We've been getting these rations since the beginning of the nineties and for many families, it's their main source of sustenance. What sort of democracy is it when you FORCE people to go vote for someone or another they don't want?
Khalid mentioned this on his blog too, it seems he actually believes the rumor himself.
Here is one new information for you!
Did you know that the "ration" card of year 2005, that allows you to take sugar, flower and few other things too, which have been the main resource for Iraqi families' food since early nineties, will not be given except for those who will vote?
When you go to the voting center they give you a paper that allows you to take the card from the ratio shop in your neighbor!
Freedom… democracy…yahhhhoooooo! cheer up Iraqis and live happy!
many other sources can be found easily on line.
