As Iraq’s campaign season winds into its final week, voters will have to make their choices in a fog of limited information.
Because of the constant violence and death threats against them, candidates will not hold rallies. Instead, they are relying on religious and tribal networks and Islamic holiday feasts to spread their message.
Laconic posters and television ads round out the campaign. As a result, people’s perceptions of the candidates, and their understanding of the election, are as vague as the candidates’ platforms.
The neat thing about this election is that it’s irrelevant whether or not Iraqis are making an informed, meaningful decision. The really important outcome of this election will be in producing video footage of Iraqis voting, which will be used by certain US politicians offering meaningless grand pronouncements on “liberty” and “freedom.”