Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-01-26-Speech-3-098"
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"en.20050126.7.3-098"2
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"Mr President, Mr Solana, I was in the Rafah refugee camps in Gaza at the time of the elections, and I thank you for your highly opportune words. Thank you, Mrs Ferrero-Waldner, for your commitment.
I should like, if I may, to take you back to the Iraqi elections and to express my concern. These elections are scheduled for Sunday and form part of Bush’s political exit strategy, legitimised by UN Resolution No 446. The plan was to hand back self-determination to the Iraqi people, yet since it has been in place, tensions have continued to rise. The occupying forces have been unable to transform themselves into peace-keeping forces and the appalling behaviour at Abu Ghraib prison was indicative of this. Attempts to recreate Iraqi forces, especially a police force, have been punctuated by attacks targeted against those who, unfortunately, are sometimes deemed collaborators with the enemy power. This is a failure. It is those same Iraqi forces, supported in the background by the US forces, which will be looking after the polling stations. Sunni extremists are boycotting these elections and the increase in Shiite fundamentalist movements, whose arrival Iran is viewing most favourably, gives rise to fear of a theocracy in place of a new democracy.
The holding of these elections is completely bizarre. Not one condition has been fulfilled that would give legitimacy to the winner and bring peace; far from it. The feeling is that there will be further violence. It is therefore hard to believe that a constitution will emerge free from Sharia, one that respects women’s rights, unless a firm grip is kept on the writers’ pens.
The timetable for 2005 is incredible: a constitution on 15 August, a referendum on 15 October, legislative elections on 15 December and a new government on 31 December. What does the Council make of this headlong rush? Do you believe it is feasible? Should we in fact believe it is feasible, Mr Solana? Is there a European strategy on this issue? I would hope so, to preclude the possibility of occasional rhetoric that may be close to mine but with which I do not agree. I feel that we must not keep silent about these elections; such silence would be a sign of ambivalence and that is not something I would want."@en1
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