[EM] Loya Jirga

[Joe Weinstein]

Earlier today, Tue. 11 June 2002, Josh Narins wrote:

"Welcome to the Loya Jirga of Afghanistan!

"Please make exactly ONE check mark next to ONE name on the ballot below.

[ ] Hamid Karzai
     (candidate has withdrawn) Zaher Shah
     (candidate has withdrawn) Burhanuddin Rabbani

"Thank you for your participation in the democratic process!"

Now let's go back one week, to Tue. 4 June 2002, and from Afghanistan to 
California USA, more specifically to the state's fifth largest city (after 
Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose), and its runoff 
mayoralty election.  In effect voters here were greeted with:

"Welcome to Long Beach, California!

"Please make exactly ONE check mark next to ONE name on the ballot
below.

[ ] Dan Baker
[ ] (write in, if any)

"Thank you for your participation in the democratic process!"

In our Long Beach case, in addition to Dan Baker - a well-funded, ambitious 
but quite conformist councilman, with endorsements of Dem clubs but not of 
Dem bigwigs - there were TWO active and duly sanctioned (by petition of 20 
or more voters) write-in candidates: the termed-out incumbent mayor, Bev 
O'Neill - a see-no-evil hear-no-evil speak-no-evil cheerleader front for the 
city manager, supported by establishment and its largely sycophantic press; 
and underfinanced insurgent Norm Ryan - supported by both environmentalists 
and fiscal reformers.

In the primary, O'Neill had finished first, Baker second, Ryan third.  
Because she was termed-out and therefore not listed on the primary ballot, a 
local judge ruled that O'Neill could also not be listed on the final ballot. 
  Because Ryan had finished only third (albeit second of those listed), the 
judge ruled that he too couldn't be on the final ballot.

The final election's last few thousand votes remain to be counted today, but 
will not likely alter the final's outcome:  O'Neill 46%, Baker 37%, Ryan 17% 
of the vote.  Total turnout:  23% of 186,000 registered voters, < 10% of 
city's population of > 460,000.

"Democratic process" triumphs at home and abroad!

Joe Weinstein
Long Beach CA USA




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