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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, May 09, 2002

Iraq Prepares to Hold Presidential Referendum This Year

Iraq's decision-making Revolutionary Command Council has held a meeting to discuss the procedures for this year's presidential referendum, the official Iraq Daily reported on Thursday.


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Iraq's decision-making Revolutionary Command Council has held a meeting to discuss the procedures for this year's presidential referendum, the official Iraq Daily reported on Thursday.

Izzat Ibrahim, vice chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, chaired the meeting on Wednesday and "discussed means to make the referendum a success," the report said.

In the coming referendum, "Iraqi people will express their free will and genuine national and patriotic aspirations" as the previous one which took place on October 15, 1995, the report said.

In the 1995 referendum, President Saddam Hussein won a vote of 99.96 percent and his presidential term was thus renewed for another seven years till this October.

Saddam's presidency began in 1979 and he has since ruled the oil-rich country. In addition, Saddam has also held an array of ranks such as prime minister, secretary general of the ruling Arab Baath Socialist Party and the commander in chief of Iraqi armed forces.

Saddam turned 65 on April 28 and millions of Iraqis took to the streets throughout the country to celebrate his birthday and they hailed Saddam as "the choice of the people."

However, U.S. President George W. Bush has designated Saddam as an "evil" person and his regime as part of an "axis of evil." U.S. officials have expressed that they favor a regime change in Iraq.


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