'Habits of democracy' taking root in Iraq

WASHINGTON, March 19 (UPI) -- U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said the "habits of democracy" were taking root in Iraqi politics in their political reform.

Responding to a question in a recent news briefing regarding the apparent lack of post-surge political progress in Iraq, Casey pointed to the bottom-up developments, notably in the Sunni community, as evidence that Iraqis were embracing a participatory form of governance.

Delegates to the party loyal to the influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr and members of the Sunni Accordance Front walked out of reconciliation conference Tuesday citing equitable political distribution of powers and a variety of other reasons for their decision.

Casey, however, referred back to the passage of major political reforms in the Iraqi Parliament dealing with provincial elections, detainees and the economy as a sign that Iraq was able to move forward despite apparent obstacles among the various political parties.

Asked how the U.S. government could be so confident in its assessment of political developments in Iraq, particularly in the face of the recent walk out, Casey responded, "Certainly, one of the things we forget in our country is the habits of democracy, the habits of compromise, of give and take; are not necessarily something that just springs to life fully formed."

He noted "real steps" were taken by the Iraqi leadership to bring out a compromise to pass key political reforms.

Meanwhile, Voices of Iraq reported Wednesday the Iraqi presidential council withdrew its objections to the legislation calling for provincial elections, saying "there would be no changes to the law."