My Turn: Iraq constitution still in limbo
The original deadline for completing Iraq’s new constitution has come and gone, without resolution of the most vexing problems facing the framers. The new deadline is Monday, Aug. 22.
Apparently, the main sticking points are few, but daunting. They include federalism, the role of Islam, human rights, Kurdish autonomy, and distribution of oil revenues.
The details vary, but the problems all relate to how political, economic, and social power will be wielded in the “new” Iraq. Predictably, most of the Shiites favor federalism, while the Sunnis are less enthusiastic.
The Kurds are somewhere in the middle. They want autonomy now, and perhaps, secession from Iraq later.
As for the role of Islam in the constitution, the question boils down to whether the tenets of Islam should be the source of the fundamental law of the land, or whether they should be a source. Obviously, this is a real bone of contention, between the Shiites and the Sunnis, and among the Kurds and secular Iraqis. The latter fear that making Islam the source of basic law could lead to a theocracy, with all that means for the curtailment of human rights. Iraqi women are justifiably nervous about this.
Distribution of oil revenues could be a tough nut to crack. Most of the oil in Iraq is in the north and south, where the Kurds and Shiites, respectively, live. This leaves most of the Sunnis “high and dry.” Given the potential world demand for Iraqi oil, the Sunnis will want some share of the nation’s oil revenues as a condition of their full, peaceful participation in the political process.
The problems facing the framers of Iraq’s new constitution are exacerbated by the fact that terrorism continues apace in Iraq. The terrorists are more sophisticated and more lethal than ever, as attested to by the mounting casualties, borne mostly by the Iraqis, but also by our own military men and women.
So, if “politics is the art of compromise,” it seems to me Iraqi leaders of all religious, ethnic, and secular beliefs will have to “give a little to get a little,” if they hope to resolve the problems that now confound them in their attempts to craft a viable constitution.
Even then, whatever they come up with must be ratified by the Iraqi people. That, too, will be another major challenge on the rocky road to Iraq’s transition from decades of tyranny to a peaceful, progressive alternative to Hussein and his hooligans.
Clearly, it is in our national interest that the Iraqi people succeed in their quest for order, peace, and prosperity. However, as I’ve said before, we liberated them from the horrors of Saddam Hussein. We cannot liberate them from themselves.
Elections were just the first step on the road to self-determination. Now it’s time for the Iraqis to complete and ratify a constitution that suits their needs and aspirations, not ours. Then, they can take the next giant step toward self-government, and we can begin withdrawing our military forces, as Iraqi security forces begin to assume their duty and responsibility to protect and defend their own country.
None of this will be easy, but it must be done.
Thomas Vaughn is a Motlow professor and co-host of “Viewpoints” a radio show that airs on WCPI 91.3 FM.