European Parliament Election
Though not as important as the local national elections in each but Today's vote for the EP was a test for a lot of European governments especially for some of them their national election getting closer.
Most of the media at this stage divide the parties on the basis of their support or reject of the war by which Saddam regime has been toppled (the Iraq war).
For example the USA Today said that the Dutch opposition parties critical of the Iraq war scored significant gains. On the other hand Tony Blair party in the UK suffered a backlash to the third place. Labour party was done 215 council while the conservative the major opposition party gained 108 and Liberal-democrats the main opposition to Iraq war gained 61!
If the predictions of the media of conservative at 38-40%, LD of 30% and Labour only 26% are correct it will be a very big disappointment for Tony Blair and his party! This may even be worse during the next national election in the UK.
The voters for the competitive parties most of them are the tax payer people. Certainly the Iraq issue played a major factor in the election in Spain to bring the socialists back to power and to put away one of the major allies and supporter of Iraq war. Not to forget the role of the terrorist attack just prior to the election! In the UK many will vote in response to the Iraqi issue during the next election as some have been done today!
Though Iraq factor is important in the election in the UK but the tax-payer voters in that country were not happy about the domestic policies of the Labour party. These voters are also looking for the UK national health system, education, taxes, living standards, inflation, unemployment, and external issues including Europe and Iraq.
It is wrong assumption to say that the voters in the UK have and going to vote just for the Iraqi factor. The UK citizens seem to be disappointed with the present government for many cumulative factors and not only one issue. Definitely Iraqi factor is very important and even major in the next election.
The advise for Tony Blair is to show the voters that what he have done in the war was for a very good reason not just for the WMD issue that the voters lost faith in.
From now until the next election surely if Iraq becomes stable and the rebuilding of its structures with democracy and security established; the window for those who oppose the war during the election will get narrower. This is why those who oppose the war like to open this window and convert it into a door by which they can enter the government offices (number 10 Downing Street in the UK) and push the present government away from the main door!
Lastly the UK government should be very careful and learn from the terrorist attack happened in Spain just prior to the election!
We are sure that the USA watching to make sure that her friends will win and to learn from their mistakes or gains!
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