FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2005
Contact: Cara Santos Pianesi, 202/939-2211, csantos@carnegieendowment.org
In the wake Sunday’s National Assembly elections in Iraq, Carnegie Endowment scholar Nathan Brown cautions that Iraq’s road to democracy will be both precarious and fast-paced. The National Assembly will attempt to write a constitution—its primary, though not only, task—in an extremely tight timeframe. With Iraq still facing a violent insurgency and many political divisions, the challenges for deliberating over basic matters of governance, politics, and identity are great. A new primer on the next steps in Iraq, Post-Election Iraq: Facing the Constitutional Challenge is available exclusively on the web at www.CarnegieEndowment.org/democracy.
In addition to writing the constitution, the National Assembly will serve as interim parliament, elect a Presidency Council, and approve a cabinet—all during the transitional phase that begins once Sunday’s electoral results are announced and the National Assembly meets. Post-Election Iraq: Facing the Constitutional Challenge outlines the specific tasks on the National Assembly’s immediate agenda and the pitfalls that are likely to result from each. It details the constitution-writing process, including five central issues that are likely to emerge during negotiations: the role of Islam and religion; federalism; security; structures of authority; and rights and freedoms.
According to Brown, the August 2005 target date for drafting the constitution will be particularly demanding, given that the National Assembly is likely to be a fairly inchoate body. The pure proportional-representation election, lack of experience, fluid party system, and vague electoral platforms are factors that will complicate cohesion among the members of the Assembly in the short run.
Carnegie senior associate Nathan Brown specializes in Arab constitutionalism and is the author of four well-received books on Arab politics.
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