Cripple Democracy

Sabah Jawad

On the 8th March, members of the US appointed Iraqi Governing Council approved the "Law of Administration for the state of Iraq for the Transitional Period" unanimously, after a period of delays and uncertainty about the intentions of some members of IGC.

While the enacting of this Law was praised by the Bush and Blair administrations and received favourably by western media, the Iraqi democratic movement strongly condemned the passing of this law and saw it as an attempt by the occupying forces to impose its will over the democratic wishes of the Iraqi people.

The Iraqi democratic movement objection to this law, centre on the following points: That this law is drown by an occupying authority in collaboration with un-elected body (IGC). Both institutions have no legitimacy in the eyes of the Iraqi people; the American occupying authority has imposed its veto on issues such as the nature of the future state in Iraq that should have been left to the democratic will of the Iraqi people: The American occupying authority seems to invent new concept in the definition of democracy i.e. a small minority can overrule the wishes of the majority, as stipulated by article 61(C) on the issue of a referendum for a permanent constitution: This law imposes crippling restrictions on a newly elected government which can not implement any policy without the backing of two third majority of the national assembly, and the unanimous approval of members of the presidency council

True to form, The Iraqi Governing Council has acted in bad faith in agreeing to the American dictat, it had the option of campaigning for the issue of constitiution to be left to newly elected Iraqi government or adopting the popular 1958 interim constitution until a new permanent one can be drown and approved democratically. In choosing neither option the American appointed council once again ignored the wish of our people.

The implementing of this law will hinder the progress towards democracy demanded by our people and shackle any elected institutions such as the national assembly and government in the future. Any such bodies will be weak, handicapped and ineffective.

American and British occupiers having paid lip service, for such a long time, to the issue of democracy to cover their true intention for the ruthless occupation of Iraq, now use every trick in the book, including trying to create ethnic and sectarian divisions, to obstruct our people long struggle for democracy. They know the Iraqi people reject the occupation and demand an end to it.