Building a Post-Conflict Iraq

As the seige of Baghdad continues, it is not too soon to consider what sort of civil infrastructure should be introduced in the post-Hussein era. Here are a few suggestions.

A tri-zonal state: This system would create a central authority based in Baghdad, with the rest of Iraq divided into three quasi-autonomous provinces: the Shiite districts, the Suni districts, and the Kurdish districts. The various cultural groups and other religious minorities would be represented in one chamber of the centralized legislative branch in proportion to their percentage of the total population. The provinces would have equal representation in the other chamber of the centralized legislative branch. Judicial and executive duties would be divided on a rotation basis with no single group controlling any single branch of the centralized government at any one time. Such a system would prevent the previous situation of Suni domination and repression of the Kurdish minority and Shiite majority.

This tri-zonal model is partially derived from the system of the various communities that governs Belgium. The tri-zonal system has problems in that at any time any one of the three communities may perceive that one or both of the other communities gave it short shrift. The system therefore will require cultivation of extensive compromises and identification of leaders in each of the cultural and religious communities who can interact across cultural and religious boundaries to limit the potential for cross-community violence.

Centralized authority: This system would relegate all power to a central government in Baghdad. Members of the legislative branch will be elected at large, either according to a proportional representation method comprised of party lists or according to single member district allocation or by some mix of the two methods. Judicial and executive functions will be filled as a matter of merit; no precise representation will be given the various cultural and religious groups. This system would operate most successfully as a Presidential/Parliamentary system whereby the head of state is elected by the whole country and the head of government is selected by the legislative branch.

A collaborative "round table" structure followed by a transitional government: This is the most obvious option and gives attention to the details the previous options deliberately ignored. As a post-dictatorial state, Iraq will require a new Constitution and a new system of laws. Essentially all the institutions of state will need to be created from nothing. Perhaps some aspects such as the current Iraqi Constitution's officialdom of providing for election of representatives and Presidents can be transformed to reality, but the problem persists that the Baath Party operatives will manifest themselves indirectly into the new system. Perhaps there are some moderate Baath Party operatives who will follow the example of some former Communist Party leaders in central and Eastern Europe: "We were Party members only for convenience and necessity". Should a "Baath Party members need not apply" be established, or should a series of negotiations and compromises to ensure long term stability be initiated? These will be immediate concerns for the post-Hussein authority.

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