Iraq's New Start...
... and here it is!
One of the issues I'm watching more closely is the continually developing situation in Iraq. Of particular note recently have been the recent elections in the country.
Link to Election Results (Wikipedia): Iraqi Legislative Election, 2005
To be brief the "United Iraqi Alliance" a mainly Shiite coalition of parties with the quiet backing (he never claimed to support them himself, there were merely whispers from his spokesmen) has claimed a plurality with 140 of the 275 seats in the national assembly.
Other major players include the "Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan" (made up of the two main Kurdish parties) with 75 seats and the "Iraqi List" headed by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi with 40.
This makes for a divided government albeit between relatively friendly factions, possibly the best that could be hoped for.
It's a real downer for the "puppet government" crowd who were sure the evil neo-cons were going to install Allawi (you know, just like how they were going to install Chalabi). As well as for the "election of the extremists" crowd because the group backed by Moqtada Al-Sadr got two seats, both of his representatives are free to give the other a pat on the back... (Edited to Add: That number might be upgraded to three, which would be enough for a group hug)
..but for 25 million Iraqis it ain't so bad.
The Sunni Arabs who "chose" (or had the insurgents choose) to boycott are almost a non-issue, except in the consideration of the Shia and Kurds in power (which fortunately looks to be pretty friendly).
It also mean that fundamentalist Shia (the Kurds could stall everything if offended) have to go easy on the role of Islam in government which may well mean more freedoms for women and religious minorities.
How that could not be good is beyond me. Democracy is well on it's way to becoming a fact of life in Iraq.
One of the issues I'm watching more closely is the continually developing situation in Iraq. Of particular note recently have been the recent elections in the country.
Link to Election Results (Wikipedia): Iraqi Legislative Election, 2005
To be brief the "United Iraqi Alliance" a mainly Shiite coalition of parties with the quiet backing (he never claimed to support them himself, there were merely whispers from his spokesmen) has claimed a plurality with 140 of the 275 seats in the national assembly.
Other major players include the "Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan" (made up of the two main Kurdish parties) with 75 seats and the "Iraqi List" headed by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi with 40.
This makes for a divided government albeit between relatively friendly factions, possibly the best that could be hoped for.
It's a real downer for the "puppet government" crowd who were sure the evil neo-cons were going to install Allawi (you know, just like how they were going to install Chalabi). As well as for the "election of the extremists" crowd because the group backed by Moqtada Al-Sadr got two seats, both of his representatives are free to give the other a pat on the back... (Edited to Add: That number might be upgraded to three, which would be enough for a group hug)
..but for 25 million Iraqis it ain't so bad.
The Sunni Arabs who "chose" (or had the insurgents choose) to boycott are almost a non-issue, except in the consideration of the Shia and Kurds in power (which fortunately looks to be pretty friendly).
It also mean that fundamentalist Shia (the Kurds could stall everything if offended) have to go easy on the role of Islam in government which may well mean more freedoms for women and religious minorities.
How that could not be good is beyond me. Democracy is well on it's way to becoming a fact of life in Iraq.
posted by Turnea at
2:26 PM
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