February 24, 2004

The UN contributes
Posted by Jon Henke

I've been saying this for a long time....let the UN participate, but let them do what they're qualified to do: elections. Leave the tough stuff to the countries with an interest in seeing it through.

Well, the UN has released a report on transitioning power to the Iraqis, and I think it's pretty reasonable. Here are the key points:

A June 30 deadline for the Coalition Provisional Authority to transfer power to a transitional Iraqi government must be met.

The U.S.-led coalition and Iraqis must work together to come up with a caretaker government to shepherd Iraq toward national elections. That caretaker government must be ''short-lived.''

A U.S. proposal to choose the transitional government in a series of regional caucuses is a poor solution because it could be easily manipulated and Iraqis would have little faith in it.

If Iraq began preparations immediately, it would need until May 2004 to create the necessary legal framework for elections for a new government. It would then need another eight months to prepare for the elections on the ground meaning a vote could be held by the end of the year at the earliest or January 2005.

Security must improve in Iraq for free and fair elections to take place.

Iraq should set up an independent election commission without further delay.

The US-proposed Caucus idea was an interesting and practical way to turn over power faster than could be done with a general election. Unfortunately, in a country where dissent has been suppressed by force for generations, it also seems like a pipe-dream to expect that the people would accept it. How would you feel about voting publicly in a country where hundreds of thousands had been killed for suspected dissent? The government may have changed, but the people are the same....and they remember.

So, if we have to wait a bit longer for elections....fine. Let's do it right. In the meantime, transitional authority structures are a positive step forward. The more the Iraqi people get the franchise, the faster that door closes on the insurgents.

One final point: this is exactly why we shouldn't withdraw from the UN. Whatever their flaws, they can be a useful tool. We might not always use the same tool...but you don't just throw a tool away.

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