Under the leadership of its new prime minister, Iraq is moving in the right direction - toward democracy and away from political gridlock.
A Times Editorial
Published April 30, 2005
The Cabinet that Iraq's new prime minister formed this week hardly projects a nationalist face. Even with the expectations lowered by three months of post-election wrangling, Ibrahim al-Jaafari has assembled a makeshift coalition at best. But it is an important step toward democracy, and its significance was underscored by Friday's violence. Insurgents exploded at least 11 car bombs and killed more than 40 people, including three U.S. soldiers. Despite that grim news, the United States has no choice but to keep pushing Jaafari to give Iraq's minorities a meaningful role and begin writing a constitution.
The impasse since the January elections has emboldened the Sunni-led insurgency to attack and undermine the legitimacy of the Shiite-dominated government. By naming 30 members of the Cabinet, Jaafari and Iraq's National Assembly put the biggest imprimatur to date on a government to succeed the ousted dictator, Saddam Hussein. While Iraq's Shiite majority controls the largest bloc of posts, the Cabinet includes Sunnis, who controlled Iraq under Hussein, Kurds and a Christian. Women run half a dozen ministries. Officials hope the broad base will bring Sunnis and others deeper into the political process, thus improving the security situation and speeding the withdrawal of U.S.-led occupation forces.
Jaafari came under increasing U.S. pressure in recent weeks, and he correctly chose to form a government - however flawed. The Bush administration was right to ratchet up the pressure, as the rise in and severity of insurgent attacks began to unsettle the sectarian climate for political compromise. What's troubling is how far Jaafari's government still needs to go. Seven posts, including oil and defense, are still vacant or lack permanent ministers, reflecting the ongoing political uncertainty. The Sunnis have a nondescript role, there is no clearer consensus on whether to embrace Islamic or secular government and the Shiites have sent mixed messages about how far they will purge Hussein-era Baathist Party members from the ruling and professional class.
The parties' success in coalition-building has merely reflected how well they have avoided core ethnic disputes. Jaafari will need to show that the Cabinet can function, that the defense and interior ministries can improve security and that minorities will have more than a perfunctory voice. Marginalizing the Sunnis, either by ignoring them outright or assigning them subaltern posts, lays the groundwork for continued fighting. Beyond reaching out, Jaafari also needs to get the assembly moving on writing a new constitution. The prime minister said Thursday that the vacancies would be filled in the next several days, which would mark the start of this government - and the maneuvering over larger issues.
Still, by filling the ministries, Iraq's new government shifts attention from personalities toward the work of the assembly, moving the nation closer to confronting its social and ethnic divides and establishing a democracy. That's why millions of Iraqis went to the polls, why the insurgents responded so violently Friday, and why American troops are still there. All sides need to start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
