Iraq's Election Results Favor Secular Government by leader Ayad Allawi

By Padmini Arhant

On May 16, 2010, Iraq’s electoral commission affirmation of a Sunni backed bloc led by the secular, Shiite leader, Ayad Allawi victory over the former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a clear public mandate in the democratic election held on March 7, 2010.

Further, the election commission ruled out the voter fraud charges by the Shiite leader and the Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki after recount in the districts suspected of the alleged inaccuracy.

Hence, the new government with the Prime Minister Ayad Allawi to resume power in office is the electorates’ final decision in the prolonged electoral process that has contributed to sectarian violence due to partisanship sought by the homogenous Shiite party under the then Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The political standoff by the previous administration refusing to accept the democratic will has claimed many innocent lives of the Shiites and Sunni population through militants’ orchestrated bombings and explosions until now.

People of Iraq deserve peace and normal existence in a secular society.

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Padmini Arhant

Iraq’s Political Stalemate and Solution to a Promising Future

By Padmini Arhant

It has been over two months for the parliamentary elections in Iraq and the nation is without a new government thus far.

Since there is no absolute majority winner, the political parties have been scrambling to form a coalition unsuccessfully.

The situation has created a void in the absence of ruling government allowing the insurgency to re-emerge that claimed 119 civilian lives on Monday 10, 2010.

Further, the U.S. troop withdrawal with August 31 deadline and the complete pull out from Iraq by the end of 2011 is contingent on the political stability.

The military perspective is “to hold as many forces on the ground until the need to redeploy them.”

Even though, the security agreement between Iraq and the United States requires the U.S. exit by the end of 2011, that now appears to be improbable from the military officials’ statements.

If this is not a wake up call to the elected officials in Iraq, then nothing can revive democracy in the war torn nation.

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Thank you.

Padmini Arhant