This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 005088 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/PPD, NEA/PPA, NEA/AGS, INR/IZ, INR/P 
 
E.0. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO IZ
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI GOVERNMENT, DECEMBER 15th 
ELECTION, TRANSPARENCY; BAGHDAD 
 
SUMMARY: The major theme of today's editorials was 
Thursday's parliamentary election. 
 
Analysis: While the majority of the day's editorials 
highlighted the preliminary results of Thursday's 
parliamentary election, independent Al-Mashriq focused on 
the recent increase in fuel prices-a subject of much debate 
in the Iraqi media. Independent As-Sabah Al-Jadeed discussed 
the importance of the election as a significant step in the 
political process. Al-Bayyan, affiliated with Ad-Dawa party, 
published a front-page editorial entitled "The UIA and 
Renewable Confidence," which articulated the accomplishments 
of Al-Ja'fari's government. The Sunni-affiliated Al-Basaer 
used its editorial page to reveal skepticism about 
preliminary election results. END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------- 
 
¶A. "Review It before It Becomes a Book" (Az-Zaman, 12/21) 
¶B. "I Challenge the Minister of Oil to Resign" (Al-Mashriq, 
12/21) 
¶C. "Heated Exchange of Accusations" (As-Sabah, 12/21) 
¶D. "After Elections" (Al-Ittihad, 12/21) 
¶E. "What Is after the Election?" (Al-Fourat, 12/21) 
¶F. "The Honesty of the Rigging Commission" (Al-Basaer, 
12/21) 
¶G. "The Principle" (Al-Adala, 12/21) 
 
---------------------------------------- 
SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶A. "Review It before It Becomes a Book" 
(Az-Zaman, independent, published a back-page editorial by 
Fateh Abdul Salam about the violations that occurred 
throughout the electoral process. The editorial reads in 
part) 
 
"The election has become a base for the democratic process 
in Iraq. This election will rearrange Iraq's entire 
political experiment. There were many violations during the 
election and these infringements must not be ignored. In 
some polling centers, thousands of voters lined up waiting 
to cast their votes, but they found that there was a lack of 
ballots in the polling centers. The Independent Electoral 
Commission (IECI) avoids answering any question about 
election violations. In the previous elections as well as 
this election, Iraqis were eager to find answers to their 
questions concerning violations. Unfortunately, they do not 
have answers thus far.The next parliament must give the 
final word on this election. We must not turn the pages of 
mistakes day by day because these mistakes will become a 
book of mistakes in the new era." 
 
¶B. "I Challenge the Minister of Oil to Resign" 
(Al-Mashriq, independent, published a front-page editorial 
by Hamid Abdullah about increasing fuel prices in Iraq. The 
editorial reads in part) 
 
"Iraqi people do not know why the government increased the 
price of fuel. Some of them say that the World Bank will 
assist Iraq only if fuel prices are increased in Iraq's 
local markets. We did not hear any justifiable reason from 
the government concerning this issue. Why did the government 
apply this decision after the election? Fuel prices 
increased just as the prices of other goods increased. The 
Minister of Oil has protested and condemned this decision 
and he threatened to submit his resignation. However, we all 
know that he will never resign, even if fuel prices increase 
fifty times. We just want to know: is Iraq a country that 
has oil wealth, or do we import oil from Darfur?" 
 
¶C. "Heated Exchange of Accusations" 
(As-Sabah, independent, published a front-page editorial by 
editor in chief Muhammad Abdul Jabbar about the recent 
exchange of accusations among politicians following the 
elections. The editorial reads in part) 
 
"Yesterday was a heated day. It seemed that the rules of the 
electoral game would break after the election. There are 
political groups that are dissatisfied with the results of 
the election. These groups believe that the election was 
seriously rigged. After the election, some started to 
threaten to use force. I think this is a dangerous issue in 
the democratic process; if the country were to reach this 
stage, it would be a major crisis. Therefore, the political 
scene in Iraq needs soothing and cooling. The solution to 
our problems can be achieved only by peaceful dialogue." 
 
¶D. "After Elections" 
(Al-Ittihad, affiliated with the PUK, led by Talabani, 
published a front-page unattributed editorial about the 
period following the election and the Kurds' insistence on 
assuming one of the important positions in the next 
government. The editorial reads in part) 
"The Kurdish political leadership insists on assuming the 
position of president or prime minister. Jalal Talabani is 
the most probable candidate for [one of these] positions 
because of his charismatic personality.The Kurdish 
leadership believes that it is better for the country at the 
current stage to reelect Talabani as president for the 
forthcoming period. However, the next parliament must review 
the responsibilities of the president because we need a 
president with strong authority to lead the country in the 
coming period." 
 
¶E. "What Is after the Election?" 
(Al-Fourat, independent, published a second-page editorial 
by Majed Fadhel Az-Zaboon about the elections, violations, 
and protests against the preliminary results that were 
announced by the IECI. The editorial reads in part) 
 
"Following the election, protests began to appear, which 
focused on the preliminary results that were announced by 
the IECI. We do not know why the IECI announced these 
preliminary results while many ballot boxes have yet to be 
counted. I think this procedure forces us to be skeptical of 
the entire process. We know for sure that vote counting must 
be done after all ballot boxes arrive in the main counting 
center. Furthermore, the IECI must seriously and carefully 
study all complaints. The political parties that complained 
about the election must be patient; they must not aggravate 
the current situation. The current period forces us to step 
away from exchanges of accusations so that we can achieve 
national consensus in the parliament. This balanced 
parliament will comprise all Iraqi spectra. It will be able 
to form a government that can schedule the withdrawal of 
occupation forces and start rebuilding the country." 
 
¶F. "The Honesty of the Rigging Commission" 
(Al-Basaer, affiliated with the [Sunni] Muslim Scholars' 
Association, led by Harith Al-Dhari, published a front-page 
unattributed editorial that describes the IECI as dishonest 
and biased. The editorial reads in part) 
 
"We were not surprised to hear the disgraceful, rigged 
results that were announced by the IECI.We know for sure 
that the commission is dishonest and takes its orders from 
the occupation authorities, who still control Iraq. It is in 
the interest of the occupation to have crises and divisions 
in Iraq in order to disunite the country. In fact, the 
matter is larger than the election results alone. These 
alleged results aim to establish pillars of the American 
project in Iraq and the entire region. In the end, Iraqis 
are the only losers from this chaos. The main problem in 
Iraq is the presence of the occupation. All disagreement and 
hatred would end with the termination of the occupation." 
 
¶G. "The Principle" 
(Al-Adala, affiliated with SCIRI, led by Abdul Aziz Al- 
Hakim, published a third-page editorial by Ali Khalif about 
the establishment of the next government. The editorial 
reads in part) 
 
"The forthcoming government will be established according to 
the principle of national harmony. All over the world, the 
winner of the election forms the government. This principle 
can be applied to the current Iraqi elections, but it is 
very important to make all Iraqi spectra participate in the 
political process. For this reason, the UIA will not 
marginalize any Iraqi group; it has always insisted on 
working according to the principle of harmony. The coming 
period represents a stage for reconstruction and rebuilding, 
ending terrorism and looking forward to a free, democratic 
future. The political future in Iraq is destined to include 
ballot boxes, plurality, and respect for others' opinions. 
If there are disagreements, these disagreements must be 
solved within the parliament." 
 
KHALILZAD