Except for a resounding crash when some workmen's scaffolding collapsed, the voting proceeded smoothly, and the result — 1,763 placet and 250 non-placet — insured that the document would be promulgated.
The voting proceeded slowly, practically every State dividing its vote up among the various candidates, except a few States which desired to give a full complimentary vote to a favorite son.
The voting proceeded on a day of problems at the polls in both states, in part because of a recurrence of the huge turnouts that almost every contest to date has experienced.
NAIROBI, Kenya — Millions of Kenyans poured into polling stations on Monday to cast their ballots in a crucial, anxiously awaited presidential election, and as the voting proceeded relatively smoothly a real chance emerged that a candidate charged with crimes against humanity could win the race.
The mood in Algiers as the voting proceeded appeared to be one of widespread demoralization, in sharp contrast to the hopeful spirit in the city only a month ago, when the start of the election campaign was accompanied by a widespread sense that years of dictatorial rule might finally be drawing to a close.
Despite Taliban threats of violence and fears of ballot fraud, the voting proceeded for the most part smoothly, with a higher-than-expected turnout of some 7 million out of 13 million eligible voters.
Troops and police officers, Afghan and foreign, will try to ensure that the vote proceeds safely.
Iran has vowed to block its border with the landlocked region if the vote proceeds.
If the vote proceeds as expected, Earth will be spared such galactic shame.
If the vote proceeds on party lines, as everyone assumes it would, the House, with a majority of states controlled by Republicans, would side with Bush.
