Further, says Al-Mukhtar, the names of those standing for election are not widely publicized, many names are indeed unknown, and few manifestos have been published. However, what is publicized are the names and addresses of all who register to vote, they are displayed—in Iraq and all voting centers abroad—at all polling centers. This is simply and purely “intimidation” says Al-Mukhtar, it will “encourage some and discourage others—disclosing names and addresses is highly dangerous, no one will be safe within or without polling stations, now or later,|” he contends.

Intimidation needs no encouragement. British resident Nadia Selim, from Northolt, Middlesex, recounts in the Independent how her family in Hay Al-Jamia in west Baghdad, a mixed Sunni and Shi’ite neighborhood, was planning to vote in spite of the dangers—until they were visited by their local shopkeeper. He requested they hand over their ration books for “safe keeping.” The ration books are the means of identification for voters. Gunmen had visited the shopkeeper and ordered him to collect all ration books in the neighborhood. The family refused his request. Later, he returned sobbing and begged them not to condemn his children to death, reluctantly they gave in. One can only speculate how widely similar intimidating actions are being replicated throughout Iraq.

Further, says Al-Mukhtar, no one knows who has drawn up the electoral lists and on what they are based. “I am an Iraqi and entitled to vote, but no one has contacted me.” As a prominent and internationally known Iraqi, he could scarcely have been overlooked. One wonders how many other Iraqis, who are not likely to vote for puppet “Prime Minister” Allawi and his gang, have been similarly “overlooked.” Further, allegation of intimidation of Iraqi expatriates seems to be borne out by the fact that of an estimated seventy thousand Iraqis living in the north of England, just three hundred and fifty have so far registered to vote, according to Hussein Al-Alak, Chair of the Manchester-based Iraq Solidarity Campaign.

A strange reluctance seems to have crept into some cities to hold the elections in public buildings. In. Manchester, the town hall was declined as a venue on the basis that there were too many weddings being held there on polling day. When the wily Al-Alak checked, there was, in fact, just one wedding booked. 371 Oldham Road has now been designated, in an area entirely dominated by the British National Party, which is hostile to foreigners. In Glasgow, polling is inexplicably listed at two private houses, 71 Holland Street and 94 Elmbank Street.

Where the external votes will be counted, by whom, and under what independent monitoring body is unannounced and unknown says Al-Mukhtar. Further, he adds that legally, elections must be “possible, fair and reasonable”—none of which apply in the chaos of occupied Iraq. There, votes are being bought, and even Iyad Allawi—who recently tried to buy favors from journalists with hundred dollar bills in brown envelopes—is complaining of being intimidated in spite of being surrounded by US soldiers and tanks. Oh, and the only “independent” monitoring of the elections within Iraq is being carried out from Jordan—twelve hundred kilometers away. No wonder Allawi has kept his British passport and his mansion in leafy Surrey as insurance!

Further, it is not, as widely reported, just the Sunnis who have boycotted the elections. The Iraq National Foundation Congress comprises prominent Shiite, Sunni, Pan-Arabists, and Marxists. They have turned their back on the whole process due to the absence of an international body to oversee the proceedings.

Further trouble in paradise has broken out in the Jordanian capital, Amman, between the Jordanian government and the International Organization for Migration—who control overseas voting on behalf of “out of country voters.” The IOM has stated that Israelis of Iraqi origin are eligible to vote. Asma Khader, Jordanian Minister for Culture and government spokeswoman, says Israel-based Iraqis voting in Jordan is quite simply “out of the question.” In Baghdad, the Independent Electoral Commission’s Farid Ayar also stated that those with Israeli papers would be barred from voting. Jordan is the nearest country to Israel designated as a voting point. Further, looking at the list of countries where Iraqis can vote and the vastness of say, America and Canada, many Iraqis will have to invest in an airline ticket to vote—even those resident in Ireland will have to travel to the UK.

Intimidation is rife, and not only for voters; from Basra, Iraq's beautiful battered southern city, to Mosul in the north, and at virtually every designated polling station in Iraq, electoral committees have fled in terror. In Mosul, the entire seven hundred polling stations have been bombed or burned and officials murdered. In Allawi’s “Alice in Wonderland” world, he has, he says, devised the most stringent security tactics to ensure safety on polling day. He’d be wise to implement them forthwith—if they exist!

To add to the joy of Iraqis “liberated” from electricity and clean water and who are, for the most part, too scared to venture out, they are also to become a nation of hostages for three days before and during polling day. Borders will be closed, phones disconnected, mobile phones rendered useless; and US and other forces, already murderous and unaccountable, will be able to run riot and spill blood at will with not the slightest chance of the world knowing anything in this four-day suspension of any semblance of “freedom and democracy.” Cars will not be allowed near any polling stations, so even those prepared to risk queuing to be blown up will certainly not risk walking to do so. “Possible, fair and reasonable” the elections are not. A farce of historic proportions, they certainly are.

* Felicity Arbuthnot is a journalist and activist who has visited Iraq on numerous occasions since the 1991Gulf War. She has written and broadcast widely on Iraq, her coverage of which was nominated for several awards. She was also Senior Researcher for John Pilger's award-winning documentary Paying the Price: Killing the Children of Iraq.