[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 22884]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     IRAQ ELECTION ON CONSTITUTION

  (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, as the representative of the 48th Brigade 
and the 3rd Infantry Division, I have thousands of constituents in 
Iraq. I look each day, as most Americans do, for good news to come from 
that area of the world; and good news did come this weekend with their 
unprecedented election.
  This election, which had a lot of high stakes, will hopefully, when 
the tally is counted, ratify their constitution, which so many have 
worked on in the international community for so long.
  The election itself, though, was a great success, with an over-60 
percent turnout. In over 6,000 different polling places, violence was 
absent. Compare that to the June election, when there was a lot more 
absence and a lot less participation. This Saturday was a success.
  Even the Sunni population, the minority population that has a lot of 
apprehension about this constitution, showed up in record numbers. And, 
remember, they boycotted the election in June.
  There is a lot of progress that is happening in Iraq. I hope that 
this constitution does pass. I hope that the elections in December are 
a success. I hope that the new national government takes hold and does 
a great job of moving this great country to democracy.
  America has made this possible, and America is standing behind our 
friends in Iraq.

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