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Iraqis experience year of contrasts

DPA, BAGHDAD
Tuesday, Dec 27, 2005, Page 9

Bookended by two historical elections, 2005 was a year of political and social landmarks for the people of Iraq, who still however toil under the shadow of militant violence.

In the first major elections after the fall of former dictator Saddam Hussein, more than 8 million Iraqis -- out of a total of 14 million that were eligible to vote -- went to the polls on Jan. 30 to make their democratic voices known, despite dozens of insurgent attacks designed to discourage them.

The January polls to elect a transitional parliament charged with drafting the country's new constitution were seen by many, including the US, as a milestone on the road to the long-awaited democracy that Iraqis had been deprived of under authoritarian rule.

The Shiite United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) swept the polls, securing 140 seats in the 275-member parliament. An alliance of Kurdish parties took second place.

The success of the elections and the euphoria of their aftermath however slowly dissipated as tortuous negotiations continued between the sides over key government posts such as president, prime minister and parliamentary speaker.

After three months of debate, Shiite Ibrahim Jaafari filled the post of the prime minister, ending centuries of rule by Sunnis who comprise about 20 percent of Iraq's 26 million people.

The Kurds filled the post of the president with Jalal Talabani as the head.

A majority of Sunnis were believed to have boycotted the elections on the grounds that they were held under US occupation.

Sunni fears were calmed however by promises by the leader of the Shiite list that Sunnis will have a role in drafting the constitution.

And the Shiite victory was a turning point for US - backed interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi who lost his post.

The Sunni slice of the cake was the post of parliamentary speaker, with Sunni Arab Hachim al-Hassani named to the post on April 3.

The Iraqi National Assembly, however had an arduous task to fulfil during its nine-month lifetime, including writing a constitution for Iraq.

With the help of the UN the assembly finally wrote a draft constitution by August 15 and submitted this to referendum by Oct. 15.

The new Iraqi constitution was approved by 79 percent of voters, and was rejected in just three of Iraq's 18 provinces, all of them Sunni-dominated.

In the province of Anbar around 96 percent of the electorate voted no while in Salahaddin that figure was 81 percent. In the province of Nineveh, however, just 55 percent voted no.

For the referendum to fail two thirds of voters in at least three provinces would have had to vote no.

In Shiite and Kurdish regions the constitution was overwhelmingly approved.

Now, the new constitution comes into effect following the election of a new government. It defines Iraq as a democratic and Islamic state with a strong federalist slant.

On Dec. 15, Iraqis went to the polls for a third time to elect a permanent government to rule the country for a 4-year term. Some 10.5 million out of 15.5 million eligible voters made their way to the polling centers, bringing turnout to around 70 percent.

The elections were to choose a 275-member national assembly which in turn will select a president and a prime minister who later names a cabinet.

The trial of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein meanwhile made headlines during the last three months of the year.

Saddam and seven of his aides stood trial on charges that they were behind the killings of some 148 Iraqi villagers of Dujail in 1982 following an assassination attempt on the president.

Saddam was as defiant as ever, cross-examining the witnesses and verbally jousting with prosecutors.

Bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and executions were the outward manifestations of Iraq's continued security problems, with incidents occurring on a daily basis. Estimates put the number of Iraqis killed in insurgent violence at up to 30,000.

Iraqis also had to contend in early December with a government decision to raise the prices of fuel and other oil by-products.

Despite all the difficulties they have endured over the past 12 months, almost all Iraqis believe that they should fight tooth and nail to hold onto their country's long-awaited democracy.
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