It Depends on What 'Voter' Means
With less than two weeks to go before a national vote on a new constitution, Iraq's majority coalition of Shiites and Kurds has changed the meaning of the word "voter" to apply to people who do not actually vote. It may not make sense as a concept, but it is an excellent way to subvert the entire idea of a democratic process.
The new changes to electoral law tilt the playing field in favor of the largely undemocratic constitution that the Shiites and Kurds are trying to ram down the throats of Iraqi Sunnis. There were signs that the Sunnis would be taking an active part in the referendum on the constitution, and relying on protections that give a minority group the power of veto. But under the new interpretation of the rules, the constitution can fail only if two-thirds of all registered voters - not just the people who participate, but also the people who registered though don't show up to vote - would have to reject it.
The Shiites and Kurds are interpreting the word "voter" to mean two things in the same sentence. "The general referendum will be successful and the draft constitution ratified if a majority of the voters in Iraq approve and if two-thirds of the voters in three or more provinces do not reject it," the article in the interim constitution says. The Shiites and Kurds now say the first reference regards people who actually vote, while the second refers to everyone who is registered.
That is patently absurd, and Sunnis are right to resist this. They have the support of American officials, who are trying to drive some sense into leaders of the Shiite-Kurd coalition. A United Nations spokeswoman said yesterday that the new interpretation violates international electoral standards.
As bad as the Shiite-Kurd behavior has been, it is also important for Sunni Arabs to start assuming responsibility for what they have done to subvert hopes for a peaceful and democratic Iraq. To begin with, they can partly blame themselves for their poor representation in the National Assembly. And few Sunni leaders have spoken out against the terrorist attacks that are turning schools, mosques and markets into killing fields, and are largely the work of Sunni Baathists and jihadists.
Every group in Iraq has something to answer for, but the Shiites and Kurds need to recognize that this is not the way to draw Sunni Arabs back from the insurgency and into the constitutional process. Let's hope that the United States and the U.N. both stand firm in not allowing this latest perversion of the democratic process to stand.
nytimes.com |
