New York Times Editorial: Iraqis Vote

New York Times Editorial: Iraqis Vote
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: March 8, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/opinion/09tue1.html?th&emc=th


Final results from Iraq’s parliamentary election may not be available for days, but this much we can already say for sure: Iraq’s citizens once again showed tremendous courage and determination, defying bombs and a flawed pre-election process to cast their ballots.

We hope that Iraq’s political leaders will show at least as much courage in coming weeks as they negotiate the makeup of a new government. With American combat troops due to withdraw by the end of August, there is not a lot of time and still far too many unresolved issues for the new government to address.

The percentage of Iraqis who voted was down from the last parliamentary election in 2005 (62 percent versus 76 percent), the result, in part, of more restrictive voter ID requirements. At least three dozen people were killed in Election Day attacks. But the general assessment is that things could have been far worse, and the Iraqi forces did a solid job handling security.

Also encouraging was the decision by the minority Sunni Arabs to vote in large numbers, despite disgracefully unfair efforts by the Shiite ruling parties to disenfranchise them before the election by disqualifying hundreds of Sunni and other candidates. The Sunnis, who led Iraq under Saddam Hussein and spent much of the last seven years boycotting or battling the Shiite-dominated governments, could have gone back to the streets. They soundly chose the ballot box instead.

That is good news for all Iraqis. The new government must do a far better job than the current one of ensuring that the Sunnis and all of Iraq’s minorities have a fuller voice in Iraq’s future.

Preliminary returns suggested that two coalitions were the front-runners: one led by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, and the other by Ayad Allawi, a former prime minister. Neither coalition appeared to win enough seats in the 325-member Council of Representatives to choose the new prime minister.

That means there will likely be weeks, we hope not months, of political horse-trading ahead. Too many critical issues were delayed until after the election — including the long-deferred oil law — and Iraq cannot afford protracted wrangling.

While Iraq’s leaders should aim to put together a new government as quickly as possible, they also must be careful about boxing themselves in on the tough decisions ahead. The Kurds, who have played the kingmakers in the past, will inevitably demand commitments on the future of Kirkuk, and other players will press their own sectarian interests.

Mr. Allawi appears to have done well in putting together an ethnically balanced coalition and campaigning on overcoming Iraq’s bitter sectarian divides. We hope that as the bargaining plays out he will continue to champion a national vision.

Mr. Maliki endorsed the pre-election shenanigans that kicked many Sunnis off the ballot and played hard — at times ruthlessly — to his Shiite base. We hope that he will look at Mr. Allawi’s strong showing and decide that inclusion, rather than division, is not only essential for Iraq’s future, it may also turn out to be good politics.