Iraqi Elections????

Leading Politicians Call for Iraq Elections Delay

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Leading Iraqi political parties, including the two main Kurdish groups closely allied to the United States, called on Friday for elections scheduled for Jan. 30 to be delayed because of Iraq's widening violence.

Following a meeting at the Baghdad home of Adnan Pachachi, an influential, moderate Sunni leader and former presidential candidate, 15 political parties and groups signed a petition calling for the election to be put off for up to six months.

"The participants call for elections to be delayed and to be held within six months, allowing for changes in the security situation and completion of necessary arrangements in terms of organization and administration," the petition read.

Three interim government ministers attended the meeting and representatives from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) signed the petition.

I suspect it is likely that the Kurds and the Sunnis see that either the Shi'ites will be the winners or that Allawi will steal the election. I further think that the elections will go forward as planned. It will look like an election but will not be seen a legitimate by many or most of the Iraqis. If Allawi should manage to hold on to power, the hope of the Bush administration I'm sure, expect to see a general increase in violence. Should the Shi'ites win expect an all out civil war with the Kurds getting involved for the first time in addition to the Sunnis.