US Encouraged by Vietnam Vote: Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 - United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in South Vietnam's presidential election despite a Vietcong terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting.

According to reports from Saigon, 83 per cent of the 5.85 million registered voters cast their ballots yesterday. Many of them risked reprisals threatened by the Vietcong.

The size of the popular vote and the inability of the Vietcong to destroy the election machinery were the two salient facts in a preliminary assessment of the nation election based on the incomplete returns reaching here.

Pending more detailed reports, neither the State Department nor the White House would comment on the balloting or the victory of the military candidates, Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu, who was running for president, and Premier Nguyen Cao Ky, the candidate for vice president.

A successful election has long been seen as the keystone in President Johnson's policy of encouraging the growth of constitutional processes in South Vietnam. The election was the culmination of a constitutional development that began in January, 1966, to which President Johnson gave his personal commitment when hemet Premier Ky and

(Petikan laporan berita Peter Grose yang ditulis khas untuk the New York Times pada 9/4/1967 dahulu.)

Setelah membaca petikan berita diatas, sila gantikan nama Presiden Johnson kepada President Bush. Alihkan kota Saigon kepada kota Baghdad. Alihkan gerila Vietcong kepada gerila Baathist. Alihkan nama Nguen Van Thieu kepada Iyyad Alawi dan alihkan nama Nguyen Cao Ky kepada Sheikh Ghazi Al-Yawer. Kemudian gantikan tarikh pilihanraya dari 3 September 1967 kepada 30 Januari 2005. Apa yang terjadi? Bukan dj vu tetapi je vous ai dit - bukan telah dilihat tetapi telah saya katakan.