A Vote for Change

The party is over for the Baathies in Iraq. But the morning after presents a massive hangover of reconstruction. What sort of government should replace the failed regime?

Consider a king? Monarchy sticks in the throats of many Americans. But a constitutional monarchy is not out of place in the Persian Gulf. The most progressive countries in the region are monarchies moving toward more democratic openness. Failed Near Eastern states are all usurped monarchies: Egypt, Syria, Iran. Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are kingdoms cohabiting with varying degrees of popular representation. Saudi Arabia will certainly look more kindly on a monarchy in Iraq. Iraq can point the way for Saudi reform.

The king can’t rule alone, of course. Excessively strong executive branches of government are the bane of the Middle East. Iraq needs to split its executive between a ceremonial king and an elected prime minister. Each can serve in its own house of elected representatives. The upper house could return at least two representatives from each on Iraq’s 18 provinces. The lower house – the domain of the prime minister – can return representatives based purely on demographics. Dispersing the power of the executive and a bicameral system could blur ethnic and tribal loyalties. And tribalism dwells more comfortably with kings.

Some seats in the upper house – the domain of the king – can be reserved for clerics. Anglican divines sat for centuries in the English House of Lords doing little violence to an unwritten constitution. Iraq has been the site of civilization for five millennia. If it is not ready yet for democracy, when will it be ready?

James Clark

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(c) 2003 Millennium Relief & Development Services, vol. 2 no. 31
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