Power-sharing democracy in Post-Saddam Iraq

• Main Author: Jalal Nore, Abdul Wahed
• Format: Book Section
• Language: English
• Published: Universitas Islam Riau Indonesia 2010
• Subjects: JC Political theory
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/2681/1/ABDUL_WAHED.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/2681/
• Institution: Universiti Utara Malaysia

The aim of this study is to analyze the political system of Iraq which emerged following the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Power-sharing (consociational) model which emphasizes the role of the political elites is used as the most appropriate approach in order to study post-Saddam Iraq. Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq and despite the continuing power of insurgency and the sectarian violence, Iraq in fact experiencing a kind of constitutional process and political development. The election of January 2005, the negotiation of the constitution in the summer of that year, the referendum of October 15, which ratified the constitution and the second general election in mid December and the election of March 2010, all is a sign of functioning of political and constitutional development. The new constitution was written with the hope that for the diverse groups in Iraq to run their mutual relations in such a way that the dialogue between fighting parties shifts from a battle field into a political settlement. However, such political settlement, in spite of the huge presence of US forces, has been extremely slow. Domestic political elites have shown very little concern to develop the nature of consensus while dealing with the issues of crucial importance for Iraq and its citizens.