Developing a Democracy in Iraq

Mr. Burns writes an article that is very pessimistic of the struggle for Iraq to develop a democracy. He explains that the recent suicide bombings last Tuesday which killed 180 Iraqi Shiite worshippers “raised more doubts about the ability to establish anything of lasting value here that would be worth the American sacrifice” (Burns, 4.1., 2004). He explains that residents in Iraq have mixed feelings about the American presence; they “lost faith in America because it promised much, and delivered nothing” (Burns, 4.1., 2004). A year has gone by and it is still uncertain how or when the American presence can leave Iraq without making the nation vulnerable to the ongoing battle between the Shiites and Kurds (Burns, 2004).

The day before this article was written, President Bush proves he is not giving up on assisting Iraq by saying “we will stand with the people of Iraq for as long as necessary to build a stable, peaceful, and successful democracy” (President’s Radio Address, Press Release, 2004). Bush considers their current arguments about how to setup a Governing Council as “free, open, and spirited debate” (President’s Radio Address, Press Release, 2004). Rather than having a single president and two vice presidents, the Shiites want a five-member presidency that would enable them to get a majority since they make up the majority population in the region. The Shiites believe that if a president and two vice presidents made up the council, the two vice presidents, probably a Sunni Arab and a Kurd would overpower the authority of the president (Burns, 2004).

I think that a Governing Council should be setup providing representation based on population. Each religious group should be represented in the council. The Kurds represent 20 percent of the country’s population and should represent the same percent on the council. It might be beneficial for the country to set aside designated land for each religious group if religion continues to be a divisive issue. President Bush is currently in negotiation with Iraq leaders in how to best form the government. In an article in the March 6 edition of The Washington Post, Raijfv Chandrasekaran reports that the Kurds currently control the three northern provinces (Chandrasekaran, 2004). If the interim constitution goes to vote and receives a nationwide majority, than it should become the new permanent constitution. Hamid Bayati, senior official of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, explains that it is important that issues are handled by an elected assembly and that this should be included in the constitution. An elected assembly with at least twenty-five representatives would force the government to serve the people and listen to their concerns.

The transition from a dictatorship to a democracy is a rough road that could spell disaster for Iraq without proper assistance from America. We need to finish the job we started and enable Iraq to become a self-supporting country that would give their residents the same rights that Americans have today. It is in our interests as a free nation to do our best to make more countries free nations so that their citizens can gain the basic rights that they so deserve.