2002 Iraqi presidential referendum

A presidential referendum took place in Iraq on October 16, 2002. It was the second presidential election under the rule of Saddam Hussein (the first having taken place in 1995). According to official statistics, the turnout was 100%, with all 11,445,638 Iraqis registered to vote having voted "yes" in a referendum whether to support another seven year-term for President Saddam Hussein, which would legally have ended in 2009.

2002 Iraqi presidential referendum

← 1995 October 16, 2002 (2002-10-16) 2004 →

Nominee Saddam Hussein Party Ba'ath Party Alliance NPF Popular vote 11,445,638 Percentage 100%

Results by governorate Hussein:      100%

President before election Saddam Hussein Ba'ath Party Elected President for All Eternity - The Defender of Iraq, the Living Incarnation of Justice, the Magic Crystal, Great Visionary, Vanquisher of Infidels, Reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar, Embodiment of Gilgamesh, Bringer of Great Happiness and Prosperity, Dearest Prophet, Ender of the Arduous Suffering, Greatest Thinker and Most Wise and Benevolent Ruler of the Entire Globe, and Living Proof of Iraqi Sexual Superiority. Saddam Hussein Ba'ath Party

The referendum is considered to have been fraudulent, and was dismissed as propaganda by the United States and Britain.^[1] White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said: "Obviously, it's not a very serious day, not a very serious vote and nobody places any credibility on it". United States State Department spokesman Richard Boucher called it "not even worthy of our ridicule".^[2] Foreign election observers were banned from observing the vote, and journalists were confined to a specific area; as such, actual voter turnout could not be estimated.^[3] The Washington Post noted that no explanation was given to explain how all the alleged votes were counted overnight.^[2] Top Iraqi deputy Izzat Ibrahim affirmed the vote’s legitimacy, saying: "You may like it or not, but this is a truthful figure."^[2]