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The New Iraqi Government

© Bryan Dietzler

The new Governing Council of Iraq met for the first time this past weekend, signaling that there is finally some sort of order beginning to take shape in the Iraqi government. I see it as the light at the end of the tunnel for the beginning of the end of American occupation and the start of Iraqi independence. It seemed as if the meeting of the council went pretty well and that they began to agree on some sort of plan to help get the country back on track and move forward. How is the new council made up? Who is involved in the new Iraqi council? Does it fairly represent all ethnic groups in Iraq? Let's find out.

The new Governing Council, as it is called, is just an interim government, set up to prepare the way for a more permanent government. Here are some statistics on the 25-member council's makeup:

Gender: 22 Male 3 Female

Religious Make-up 13 Shiites 5 Kurds 5 Sunnis 5 Christians 1 Turkoman

As you can see, for the first time ever, the Shiite's hold the majority in the leadership of Iraq. This comes after Saddam Hussein's Sunni government suppressed and quite often abused the Shiites during his reign. The addition of the Shiite majority was a good idea, as it should help to please the Shiite majority population and finally give them a say in how Iraq is run. Also included in the government of Iraq are representatives of the Kurdish population, the long suppressed people in Northern Iraq. Everyone ethnic group in Iraq is represented. The inclusion of these two groups shows that the past minority (and suppressed Shiites) now has a say in how Iraq is run. This is a good move by the people who formed the council.

As mentioned above, there are also three women involved in the Governing Council. This adds even more diversity to the Council and represents a change in the way that Middle Eastern governments are being run. Instead of being ruled by a self-appointed president, much like the former Iraqi government or an Ayatollah, like Iran has, it appears as if the new government in Iraq will be democratic. This type of government would be a fine example for other governments in the region such as Iran and Syria, to show the people of these countries that a democracy in the Middle East can work and also show them what they are missing.

Despite all the other problems that are happening, the creation of this Council is a positive step in the right direction for Iraq and the United States. Let us just hope that it gets resounding support from the people of Iraq and on that, so far so good. Now all that needs to be done is to find Saddam Hussein and his two sons as well as get to the root of those who are attacking U.S. soldiers. Until these things are taken care of, any new government that is put up in Iraq will not last long.