Sunday, January 30, 2005
Dodged a bullet...
...both literally and figuratively, as it appears the turnout for the Iraqi elections was better than expected. Of course, it looks like that Sunnis didn't really participate in the elections, partly out of fear, but also because they are a group accustomed to power out of proportion to their numbers. Sunnis stand to lose the most from democracy, as they account for only 20% of the population of Iraq.
Let's hope that the new Iraqi government, and the goodwill generated by a relatively successful election, will result in a government of statemen interested more in the good of Iraq rather than crowing over the righting of past wrongs. The Sunnis, through their inaction, voted against democracy. What they will get, therefore, is people appointed to handle their interests. Let's hope the Kurds and Shiites take the longer view and appoint people who genuinely care about Sunni interests and make Sunnis feel enough a part of the new Iraq that they vote in higher numbers in the next election (currently scheduled for December, 2005).
A year might help the Sunnis get used to minority status. It takes awhile to grow accustomed to lost power, just ask the British. Still, I can't imagine the Sunnis like the turmoil generated by heightened insurgent activity in their area. Another year of that might make them more interested in reducing support for an insurgency that harms them more than it harms Kurds or Shiites.
The Swiss managed to pack French, German and Italian speaking groups into one country and maintain peace for hundreds of years. The Iraqis can manage something similar.
...both literally and figuratively, as it appears the turnout for the Iraqi elections was better than expected. Of course, it looks like that Sunnis didn't really participate in the elections, partly out of fear, but also because they are a group accustomed to power out of proportion to their numbers. Sunnis stand to lose the most from democracy, as they account for only 20% of the population of Iraq.
Let's hope that the new Iraqi government, and the goodwill generated by a relatively successful election, will result in a government of statemen interested more in the good of Iraq rather than crowing over the righting of past wrongs. The Sunnis, through their inaction, voted against democracy. What they will get, therefore, is people appointed to handle their interests. Let's hope the Kurds and Shiites take the longer view and appoint people who genuinely care about Sunni interests and make Sunnis feel enough a part of the new Iraq that they vote in higher numbers in the next election (currently scheduled for December, 2005).
A year might help the Sunnis get used to minority status. It takes awhile to grow accustomed to lost power, just ask the British. Still, I can't imagine the Sunnis like the turmoil generated by heightened insurgent activity in their area. Another year of that might make them more interested in reducing support for an insurgency that harms them more than it harms Kurds or Shiites.
The Swiss managed to pack French, German and Italian speaking groups into one country and maintain peace for hundreds of years. The Iraqis can manage something similar.
