Democracy under the gun
Preparing to vote, Iraqis wonder if elections will lead to peace or more chaos
Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi heads his own list and is waging a fierce campaign on satellite television, through slick, western-style advertisements and a miniseries, which characterizes him as a pro-democracy tough who once beat off ax-wielding assassins. More obscure groups, such as Chaldean and Assyrian minorities, are also making their voices heard, and a few candidates are vying for a seat by relying on established institutions, like the monarchy and the Communist Party, that may draw voters across ethnic and sectarian lines.
In such an atmosphere, it seems that democracy is there for the taking, not just for Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds but also for Communists and monarchists. Says the self-proclaimed heir to the Iraqi throne, Sharif Ali bin Hussein, "The message should not be, 'You should vote.' The message should be, 'Your vote will count.' "
Mixed signals
Iraq still suffers from electricity shortages, but the country's overall economy (gross domestic product) has grown largely owing to rising oil revenues. Far more people have access to telephones.
Average hours per day of electricity
24-hour clock
[Iraq map labels]
Anbar 17 hours
An Najaf 6 hours
Muthanna 8 hours
Basra 9 hours
Nasiriya 12 hours
Misan 8 hours
Qadisiyah 5 hours
Wasit 6 hours
Babil 6 hours
Karbala 6 hours
Baghdad 9 hours
Diyala 12 hours
Salah Ad Din 9 hours
Tamin 9 hours
Sulaymaniyah 13 hours
Erbil 16 hours
Dahuk 14 hours
Ninawa 8 hours
Telephone subscribers
[Chart data]
Prewar level 833,000
December 2003 600,000
December 2004 2,152,000
GDP in billions of dollars
[Chart data]
'00 $31.8
'01
'02
'03 War starts $12.1 (estimate)
'04 $21.1 (projection)
Sources: U.S. State Department, World Bank, Brookings Institution
Rod Little-- USN&WR
With Kevin Whitelaw
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