IRAQ'S ELECTION DAY

An alternative scenario envisions a "hybrid" election in which Shiites and Kurds vote in the national-assembly election while a percentage of seats in the parliament is set aside for the Sunni minority. U.N. sources told NEWSWEEK this idea is a nonstarter, but some U.S. officials want to pursue it. "We don't want to delay elections, and Allawi doesn't want to, either," said one.

The registration process for 12 million voters is supposed to kick off at the start of November. But the U.N. elections team in Iraq has only eight international staffers, a fraction of the three dozen advisers who are supposed to be in place for the voting. Up to 120,000 election workers will be needed to man 30,000 polling places nationwide, and training programs under U.N. auspices got underway in Jordan only last month. Whatever is decided, it had better be soon.

WITH ROD NORDLAND IN BAGHDAD AND MARK HOSENBALL AND EVE CONANT IN WASHINGTON

© 2004