Iraqi refugee reaction to elections mixed

CAIRO, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Iraqi refugees living in host countries across the Middle East expressed mixed reactions to the provincial elections in Iraq, statements show.

"I do not care who will control the majority of seats or who will be in power, but what I truly hope for is a peaceful Iraq that can accommodate all Iraqis, irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliation," said one Iraqi refugee in Cairo.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees interviewed scores of refugees across the Middle East to get an understanding of the Iraqi reaction to the elections from outside the country.

Roughly half of the registered voters in Iraq voted in the provincial elections. More than 14,000 candidates, with around 4,000 women, competed for 440 seats in 14 of the 18 Iraqi provinces.

The UNHCR found a mixed reaction, however, as some refugees echoed sentiments from the Iraqi public regarding the perception of those in political power.

"The elections carry no significance," said another refugee living in Damascus. "The country is destroyed and people care only for their personal gains (and) positions."

The UNHCR did not release the names of those interviewed, for their protection. The agency said there are around 300,000 registered refugees in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Emerging_Threats/2009/02/04/Iraqi_refugee_reaction_to_elections_mixed/UPI-72281233772335/.