The Iraqi Abnormal Government

This is an editorial that was printed in Azzamam, an Iraqi newspaper and I thought it needed to be put out there for Americans to see what the Iraqis think of the Bush experiment in democracy.

Our abnormal government!

By Fatih Abdulsalam

Azzaman, July 3, 2007

The political administration of the country is passing through a stage unseen in the history of any nation. The administration we have is so abnormal to the extent that none of its politicians are worthy to rule. They in fact need someone to rule over them.

Look at our parliament. One bloc suspends its participation. Another block boycotts meetings. Another rejoins the sessions while some legislators are so careless that they do not bother to attend.

The government is in disarray. Some ministers have withdrawn. Others are negotiating the price they will be paid in case they decided to stay. Certain ministers have linked their participation in the government to whether the religious clerics they hold as saints are happy with them or not.

One of the vice-presidents is angry with the government. The other vice-president changes his statements in which he was reported on the record saying that the government was useless.

The president of the republic and the prime minister have yet to comment on the disorder and chaos in their own house. Their job is now confined to policies of appeasement.

A member of parliament accuses one of the ministers of murder. One minister is alleged to be cooperating with ‘terrorists’. Another minister flees to Washington.

The office of the prime minister is busy trying to appease the militia groups which U.S. troops would like to target. The prime minister and his office are keen not to let that happen.

And the country’s pubic integration committee which was to introduce some form of transparency and accountability in the government is all but silent because it can no longer keep track of the scale of corruption as the whole country is being professionally looted.

The committee set to revise the constitution – an important step for reconciliation – is in an embarrassing situation because none of the influential political factions is ready to compromise despite the fact that the country is imploding

Iraqi politicians are revolving in a vicious circle. They are completely out of touch with the reality.

And left to themselves are the powerless and hapless Iraqi people who now live under the constant threat of terror, deceit, evacuation, killing, murder and kidnapping at the hands of terrorist gangs and bloody militias.