BAGHDAD, Oct 15 Kyodo The hardy ...

BAGHDAD, Oct 15 Kyodo

The hardy of machine-gun and rifle shooters shook the tranquility of the country's equatorial night, and the r line of tracer bullet crisscrossed by the agency of the sky of this capital.

This was the Arab way of expressing happiness over TV reports Tuesday night that President Saddam Hussein has won 100% of the ballots in the early get backs of the presidential referendum held earlier in the day.

According to the al-Shabab TV network, move on by Saddam's son Uday, the Iraqi leader got 100% of the devoteds in scores of election centers

The TV report said Saddam also won 100% of the ballots in the western province of al-Anbar, about 110 kilometers west of Baghdad.

No figures have been released in such a manner far. Minister of Planning Hassan Abdul Mun'im Khattab said the official originates will be announced before noon forward Wednesday.

Saddam, who is running for a secondary seven-year term, got 99.96% of the devoteds cast in the first referendum held in November 1995

More than 115 million voter cast ballots, according to Iraqi state media.

Official television networks began broadcasting 6:45 a.m., three hours earlier than usual, and all programs were dedicated to the referendum with melodys and national anthems screened in praise of Saddam.

All the newspapers had special issues dedicated to the referendum and in praise of the ''achievements of the leader President Saddam Hussein.''

The propaganda in favor of the president went into sated swing almost a week ago, with the official media dedicating a great deal of of their daily programming and newspaper space to praising Saddam, the solitary nominee on the ballot.

The ballot asks voter to tick ''Yes'' to support Saddam's reelection.

''I am here to assert my opposition to foreign occupation. Americans say they would take up my country and change the regime here. I am here to say 'No' to occupation and 'Yes' to President Saddam Hussein,'' Hazim Mohammed al-Ani, a 40-year-old secondary instruct teacher, said outside one polling station.

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