REPUBLICAN CHALLENGES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BASED ON EXIT POLLS

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Tue, 23 Nov 2004 11:18:22 -0500

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REPUBLICAN CHALLENGES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BASED ON EXIT POLLS

 

 

REPUBLICAN CHALLENGES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BASED ON EXIT POLLS

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

from the New York Times

 

An international election observer mission - from the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Parliament, the NATO

Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Europe - released a

preliminary report on Monday declaring that the election did not meet

democratic

standards.

 

The observers' findings were seconded by Republican Senator Richard G.

Lugar of Indiana, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

 

Citing the disturbing fact that official results diverged sharply from

a range of surveys of voters at polling places, Lugar said, " A

concerted and forceful program of election-day fraud and abuse was

enacted with

either the leadership or cooperation of governmental authorities. "

 

Other prominent Western observers were unsparing in their criticism of

the state's conduct of the election.

 

" Fundamental flaws in Ukraine's presidential election process subverted

its legitimacy, " the National Democratic Institute for International

Affairs, sponsored by the Democratic Party in the United States, declared

in its preliminary report. The institute, cited " systematic

intimidation, overt manipulation and blatant fraud " that were

" designed to achieve

a specific outcome irrespective of the will of the people. "

-- New York Times

 

From GregPalast.com: This reporter was unable to reach Senator Lugar

regarding the inconsistency of official election results and exit polls

in the USA; the intimidation of minority voters in Florida and Ohio;

nor the failure to count two million ballots cast, half by

African-American voters, in America's first post-democratic election

held earlier

this month.

 

Eastern bloc observers noted that balloting in Ohio, New Mexico and

Florida did not meet Ukrainian standards, but applauded America's attempt

to restore democratic institutions after the overthrow of elected

government in 2000.

 

----------

Greg Palast is author of the New York Times bestseller, The Best

Democracy Money Can Buy, now available on a 5 CD audio set read by Ed

Asner,

Alec Baldwin, Jello Biafra, Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo, Amy Goodman,

Jim Hightower, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, Alexandra Paul and Shiva

Rose.

 

To hear a segment of the book or receive Greg?s investigative reports

 

http://www.gregpalast.com/contact.cfm

 

 

 

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