Gaming The Iraqi Constitution

Yesterday, I learned that copies of the draft Iraqi Constitution have yet to be printed and distributed to the people, though it is scheduled to be voted on in 12 days.

After gamed elections in January (in which the people weren't even told the identities of the candidates for whom they were voting and which involved a lot of overlooked evidence of fraud), the Shiites and Kurds have aligned again to rig the vote on the Constitution. They have quietly changed the rules under voters could veto the Constitution if in at least 3 provinces 2/3 of the people who turned out voted against it. The rule now requires 2/3 of all eligible to vote in a particular province to vote against it. These champions of a Constitutuional democracy know 2/3 of the eligible voters won't even turn out for this vote.

Thus a procedure that was meant to protect minority rights and ensure a Constitution that protected all the various peoples of Iraq has been stripped of its legitimacy. The Iraqi Constitution is nothing more than a power play by the Shiite and Kurdish factions and its implementation will further exacerbate the Civil War.

Good job, George. Those you've helped to power care about as much about a real Constitutional Democracy as Saddam did.