Central Valley Iraqi-Americans to Participate in Iraqi Election
Thrilled that they'll be able to participate in their homeland's election at the end of the month, hundreds of Iraqi-Americans from the Central Valley are leaving Ceres for Los Angeles tomorrow to register to vote.
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(Sacramento, CA)
Friday, January 21, 2005
At the crack of dawn tomorrow morning, hundreds of Central Valley residents who are eligible to vote in the upcoming National Assembly Election in Iraq will head to the El Toro Marine base south of Los Angeles to register to vote. The base, a 700 mile round trip from the departure point at the Assyrian Cultural Center in Ceres, is the only registration and polling site west of the Mississippi River. Many like long-time exile Sargon Dedasho have waited years to be able to participate in Iraqi politics. DEDASHO :10—There will be a long caravan leaving this area. Probably about three to four hundred people. Then we’ll do the same thing the following week, the following Saturday for the vote. There are some 40-thousand Iraqis living in Northern California. Relatively few of them are expected to participate in the election, because of the long the trip to the polling site. Bob Hensley KXJZ News.