Democracy arrives in Iraq
Aranya Syed London, UK
The date 30.01.2005 is an immensely significant date in the calendar of Middle Eastern democracy. Iraq had its first ever democratic parliamentary elections, where the people of Iraq were spoilt for choices - they had over 100 parties to choose from. In the past score of decades, they had just one. The insurgents and anti-democratic forces in Iraq vowed that they would cause "a bloodbath" during Election Day. Despite that, the brave men and women of Iraq, did something which they were deprived of in their lifetime - choosing their own future. A resounding 60% people turned out to vote (in the previous UK General Election there was less voter turnout - 59%), and this was the biggest blow for the Zarqawi-ite terrorists and neo-Baathists, that they could ever imagine. A lot has to be done though in Iraq. But the Iraqis have showed that when given the choice between tyranny and democracy, most people would always go for the latter. Whoever the Iraqis choose, the international community must cooperate with the elected sovereign government of Iraq -- and support them for the reconstruction of the war-torn nation. This is a day for all supporters of democracy, freedom and liberty to celebrate - and a day that was impossible - without the help of the coalition forces.
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