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Iraqi 'Caucus' System
Dec. 16th, 2003 09:08 amThis article in the Christian Science Monitor describes the selection of a local council in Iraq. The 'caucus' system that was used doesn't seem terribly 'democratic' to me: The CPA reps asked locals for a list of 100 'candidates.' This list was 'vetted' by the CPA, then 'checked and rechecked to ensure no one significant had been omitted.' These 100 then elected a city council of seven members. Paul Bremer says this model will be adopted by Iraq's other 17 provinces.
Obviously this system is better than nothing, and I wouldn't object if it was a temporary measure, intended to provide local government before true, democratic elections can be held. My impression, though, is that they plan to keep the system in place until July, when the US is scheduled to leave Iraq. And I believe the current plan is for these 'caucuses' to elect the next Iraqi government. (Anyone who knows for sure should feel free to correct me.)
If Iraq is going to become a sustainable democracy, it needs responsible national parties with real popular support. To clarify, I mean parties that can bring out the vote without resorting to bribes or threats; parties with supporters in all of Iraq's regions and religious groups; parties that respect the rules of democracy, and work within them to achieve their ends. Unfortunately, the CPA's 'Caucus' system doesn't look, to me, like the kind of environment in which these kind of parties will flourish. It looks like a recipe for localism and clientalism.
Obviously this system is better than nothing, and I wouldn't object if it was a temporary measure, intended to provide local government before true, democratic elections can be held. My impression, though, is that they plan to keep the system in place until July, when the US is scheduled to leave Iraq. And I believe the current plan is for these 'caucuses' to elect the next Iraqi government. (Anyone who knows for sure should feel free to correct me.)
If Iraq is going to become a sustainable democracy, it needs responsible national parties with real popular support. To clarify, I mean parties that can bring out the vote without resorting to bribes or threats; parties with supporters in all of Iraq's regions and religious groups; parties that respect the rules of democracy, and work within them to achieve their ends. Unfortunately, the CPA's 'Caucus' system doesn't look, to me, like the kind of environment in which these kind of parties will flourish. It looks like a recipe for localism and clientalism.
