The passage to democracy in Iraq

The results of these democratic elections are are inevitable and there is a feeling of gloom. What may appear to be the first steps to a true democracy in the Middle East may actually just be an excellent propaganda coup for the US occupation forces who believe that stability, democracy and crucially a victory, could be accomplished in Iraq with considerable ease. They find themselves looking at ways to cut their stay short. A three state solution has been proposed many times for Iraq, and unfortunately, given the current context and the relative disparity of the Iraqi community, only this solution would ensure that a true democracy could be established.

A good example of the lack of traditional democracy is the Kurdish Referendum Movement, which advocates a referendum on a separate Kurdish state. Although it has collected 1.7 million signatures, it has been largely ignored - it would be impossible to ignore such a large number in a real democracy.

How the new Iraqi transitional assembly can ever ensure that every group is happy or bind these groups together remains a burning question.

The interim government to its credit has put on a plucky and spirited front and tried with considerable effort to ensure overall participation and success of the elections, which according to Zebari “will consolidate national unity”. However, looks can be deceiving and no one will under estimate the immediate task they face in the rocky transitional road to democracy.

Only time will tell if the elections in Iraq will prove to be a success, what is clear is that the writing on the wall, painted with the blood of many Iraqis, is becoming more and more visible.