Democracy in Iraq, through Ballot or Bullet?

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, June 19, 2003

Democracy in Iraq, through Ballot or Bullet?

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More than two months have elapsed since the US-led coalition forces smashed their way into the Iraqi capital and proclaimed Iraq a country under their full control after ousting former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on April 9th.

Although the majority of Iraqi people did not warmly embrace their self-styled "liberators", there has been some sort of "relief" after the new occupiers overthrew Saddam's 24-year dictatorial regime, in the hope that a new democratic government based on the principle of "one man, one vote" would soon come into being.

Iraq survived many occupiers in the past five centuries. The latest of them were Britain, whose last soldiers were forced to pack and leave Iraq only half a century ago, only to return under the flag of coalition forces.

Now, two months after the speedy crumbling of Saddam's regime and the destruction of almost all the pillars of his one-man rule, no practical steps have been taken on the road of establishing the much sought-after democratic alternative.

In place of Saddam's regime, the United States, using UN Security Council Resolution 1483, installed the so-called Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), headed by the US diplomat Paul Bremer as the de-facto ruler of Iraq, backed by more than 150,000 US and British troops.

Before the war on Iraq started on March 20, US President George W. Bush pledged himself publicly to create in Iraq "a model democracy." However, what the 25-million Iraqis have seen so far was incessant use of military force instead of diplomatic means in the day-to-day treatment with Iraqi people.

Only in the past few days, the coalition forces killed more than 130 Iraqis and arrested more than 350. This means the coalition forces resort more to military means and less to diplomacy.

Many Iraqis are wondering how long they have to wait before seeing a ballot box instead of the US tanks rumbling day and night into the streets of Baghdad?

Observers believe the delay in taking preparations to let Iraqis freely express their wishes in the forming of government is one of the causes fueling armed resistance to US-led coalition forces.

What added to the dismay of the Iraqi people is the failure of the coalition forces to impose the rule of law and order, and to restore basic services like power and water.

Many Iraqis believe that unless the rule of law and order is firmly established, there can be no democracy in Iraq. However, such rule can not be brought about by bullets, but through winning the hearts of Iraqi people by respecting their dignity, national sovereignty, as well as their culture.

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