|
Iraq: A Government without Governance
19.9.2006
Analysis by Mohammed A. Salih |
|
|
|
BAGHDAD, Iraq ,--
The national unity government led by Shia Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki has failed to deliver its
promises to improve life for Iraqis. Five months
after the government took over, the country still
faces a rising tide of sectarian violence, and
inadequate public services.
There is little sign of government in Baghdad other
than a heavy deployment of security forces. And that
deployment has not brought security.
Dilapidated and ruined buildings line the streets of
the city. The streets themselves are clogged with
messy traffic. Checkpoints have been set up by
private bodyguards. The government is not in control
even in the capital city.
Shia taxi drivers are afraid to enter Sunni
neighbourhoods for fear of Sunni insurgents. Sunni
drivers likewise do not drive to Shia areas where
they fear that anyone whose identity papers suggest
he is a Sunni may be killed at Shia militia
checkpoints.
The government is now considering introducing a
'militia disarmament bill' in parliament next month.
"Militias are a big problem and a threat to the
government and people of Iraq," deputy prime
minister Barham Salih said. "The political forces
must drop their arms and take part in the country's
political process. Otherwise, we will not accept
this."
The government has set security and sectarian
reconciliation as its priorities, but little, if
anything, has been achieved to those ends so far.
The latest figures suggest that the casualty toll in
sectarian violence dropped to 1,485 in August from
1,859 in July. Despite this 14 percent decrease in
killings, fear is still widespread that the country
is gradually sliding into civil war.
Iraqis say any plans for a better Iraq ought to
address the key issues of security and also the
presence of foreign forces.
"As one of its major priorities, al-Maliki's
government has to do its best to control the
security situation that has become very dangerous,"
Nabeel Mohammed Salim, senior lecturer in political
science at Baghdad University told IPS. He said,
however, that no other government can do better than
al-Maliki's under the current circumstances.
And a change in circumstances must mean a departure
of foreign troops, he said. "A timetable has to be
set for ending occupation and the withdrawal of
occupation forces."
The Iraqi government is at present too heavily
reliant on foreign forces, Salim said. "The
government does not have the ability to run the
government without any interference of Americans."
If the situation continues as at present, the
consequences of failure to curtail violence can be
severe, Salim said. There is now a "civil war only
between militias", but if it is not curbed, it can
expand to include "civilians and people from other
groups and parties in the country as well."
As Sunni-driven insurgency in Iraq's central and
north-western regions soars, officials in Washington
have admitted to miscalculations about the post-war
situation in the country.
"There is no question that we didn't expect the
insurgency (in Iraq) to last for all this long
time," U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney told the NBC
channel last week. He had said last year that "I
believe the insurgency movement is taking its last
breaths."
Some believe that the very composition of the
government in Baghdad has been a hindering block in
the way to the government's success.
During Iraq's two previous elections, Shia Arabs,
Sunni Arabs and Kurds all voted for the sectarian
and ethnic agenda of the parties representing their
communities. That ultimately resulted in division of
the government along sectarian lines, leading some
to call for replacement of the current government by
another one.
"We have to form another government on a national
basis," said Salim. "It must be a government that
works for the national interest of all Iraqis, and
not the interests of a particular sect or party."
IPS
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 