EVENTS

Date:	Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Time:	2:30 PM -- 3:45 PM
Location:	Wohlstetter Conference Center, Twelfth Floor, AEI 1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036

November 2005

An Insider's View: Democratic Politics at Work in Iraq

In the last year, Iraqis successfully elected a transitional government and overwhelmingly approved a new constitution. Despite continuing security challenges and a deepening sectarian divide, Iraqis are moving toward a functioning democracy. And while sectors of Iraq continue to lag, there is an untold story of economic reform. Will the constitution provide the foundation for a democratic system that can be a model for the Middle East? What can be expected of the upcoming December parliamentary elections? Is Iraq moving beyond sectarian politics, or does the federalism model in the new constitution deepen the divide? On November 9, AEI welcomed Ahmad Chalabi, deputy prime minister of Iraq, to deliver his first public speech in the United States in more than two and a half years.

Christopher DeMuth
AEI

Beginning in the 1990s, Ahmad Chalabi made repeated efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorial regime. Both inside and outside of Iraq, he consistently advocated for the urgent need to remove Saddam from power. Through his political engagement, Mr. Chalabi has refuted the commonly held view that the Arab Muslim world is unsuited for freedom.

Despite incessant attacks from opponents of democracy and freedom in Iraq as well as government agencies in the United States, Mr. Chalabi has persistently fulfilled his promises by building a new pluralist political order in Iraq and brilliantly resolving many other challenges pertaining to politics and government administration. This is evidence of statesmanship of the highest order.

Ahmad Chalabi
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq

Iraq is in the midst of an unprecedented campaign of violence that has become the focus of all enemies of freedom, democracy, and independence in the region. Saddam’s totalitarian rule drove Iraq back several decades by systematically destroying Iraqi institutions and society and by squandering untold treasures. But the Iraqi people, intelligent, determined, and proud of their heritage, have reemerged.

The new Iraqi government, diverse in its nature, has been able to move beyond the politics of identity and draft a secular and democratic constitution. However, as Iraq moves forward, it faces several different challenges. Security, the most complex challenge, will not be achieved by force only, but by persuading the Iraqi population of their stake in a free and democratic Iraq. A strong and independent army is indispensable as a unifying force as well as a protector against coercion from the militias and certain communities. Security will also impact jobs, economic development, and, most importantly, alternative and meaningful livelihoods for young Iraqis, who make up more than 60 percent of the Iraqi population. In the meanwhile, multinational forces are needed, as mandated by UN Resolution 1483, to ensure a peaceful takeover by a strong and ready Iraqi army.

The government is also faced with corruption, human rights violations, and fears of separation. The new government, with the assistance of the constitution, has tried to combat these problems by establishing control mechanisms such as a contract oversight committee, price reforms, redistribution of oil revenue in forms of cash payments, and a draft law that permits private sector operations is downstream oil products. These achievements, along with a strong government and leadership, will determine whether Iraq will fail or succeed.

AEI intern Frough Panjshiri prepared this summary.