Iraq Press Roundup

The Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council wants to cancel the elections

SIIC will do everything in its power to disrupt the provincial elections in the event that securing a position of power in the south of the country is upset, Shabab al-Iraq said Thursday.

Observers expect SIIC to follow a similar course to what it did in 2005 when it stole votes to secure several top positions. This was common practice in Iraqi politics then, however, and proved a difficult practice to counter. In 2009, with Shiite leaders moving away from the party, it is unlikely SIIC would be able to steal the elections, the newspaper said.

SIIC rivals, the Sadrist Movement, Fadhila and Dawa of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, gained widespread support in early opinion surveys. Though neither party is consolidated enough to follow the SIIC pattern from 2005, SIIC will need to make room for its rivals or lose the elections completely.

Failure to reach concessions with its rivals, however, would create a climate conducive to political and sectarian tensions that ultimately could delay the vote. SIIC should then look to consolidate its positions by uniting under a grand Shiite alliance or face a further loss of power.

Parliamentarians may break the divisions

Observers consider divisiveness a necessary stage of democratic development, while others blame rival political parties for tearing the country apart, Sot al-Iraq said Thursday.

The international community should be cognizant of the fact that the Iraqi people oppose divisions in their country. Kurdish leaders, however, believe in fighting, and division is the only way to bring about the ambitions in the region.

The Iraqi people need to recognize political divisions may escalate to a constitutional crisis, making it a situation best remedied in the short term, the newspaper said.

It is the ultimate responsibility of the members of Parliament, however, to make decisions behind closed doors in order to prevent interference from those who seek to divide Iraq.

Candidates of the Iraqi elections

In an ideal democracy, voters learn from the past and take those lessons to the polls to elect representatives who will protect the interest of the people, Azzaman said Thursday.

Observers note many candidates had violated the already repressed democracy in Iraq with illegal campaign practices. Several politicians fought with their opponents in order to win the elections, rather than focus on the issues. The public recognizes, however, that candidates may pursue their own interests ahead of others', the newspaper said.

The candidates running for provincial council seats are therefore not any different from those currently in office. The public sees this too, as those who beg for their votes during the campaign season are the same ones who turn into hungry monsters once in office.

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(Edited by Daniel Graeber)