First, a quick tribute to the millions of Iraqis who bravely voted:
The big question now, after the euphoria, is what comes next? Will a robust civil society emerge in Iraq capable of sustaining democracy? Will the new Iraqi constitution - to be drafted by the winners of this election - guarantee civil rights for all citizens? We won't know yet, so in the meantime a little celebration of one step in the process is allowed. Plus, the blue fingers look cool.
But all the excitement over Iraq's elections has obscured a troubling case of voter fraud in the Middle East's other big election: the Best Arab Blog Awards (BABA). Balloting ends today in the first-ever competition to select the premier blogs from the burgeoning Middle East blogsphere. Yet, there was some on-line ballot stuffing, and the organizers of BABA have disqualified over a dozen electoral categories.
Blogger SaudiJeans, who had been up for a now-disqualified "Best Saudi Blogger" award, laments: "I thought all Arab bloggers will enjoy the awards, however, it seems like some people have fun by making others suffer. As one commenter said: 'Welcome to the Arab World!'"
Well, at least after yesterday's election in Iraq, that stereotype may be slowly eroding.
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