Faiza’s view: read it!

Friends, Faiza of A Family in Baghdad has a wonderful post up today, describing events in her life between August 11 and August 14–in English.
(She’s had it up in Arabic since 8/14; and I struggled to read it, realizing it’s extremely interesting and informative. Big thanks to “May” who does the translations for her!)
One of the things Faiza (and May) give us is a close-up description of one of the preparatory gatherings that were held before the big nationwide election-prep conference that started Sunday. It indicates that the level of democratic practice used in the whole election-preparation-preparation process has been very low. And therefore, the general political legitimacy–among Iraqis, who are, after all, the people whose views are central to this–of the whole process risks being correspondingly low.
This is what Faiza tells us she did last Wednesday:

I took the day off today, and went in the morning to the Professional’s Union Conference, with my Doctor friend, whom I was acquainted with during the Business women Society. She is an active, educated member; I like her personality, and respect her experience. The Conference was held in Al-Elwiya Club Hall, and on our way we passed the most dangerous area, the Conference Palace, where you can see a fortress of fortifications, the American Army, and the new Iraqi Army Volunteering Centers, where we always hear about trapped cars exploding beside them…
We entered the Hall, there weren’t many people present. The subject of the gathering was a dialogue, and an attempt to contribute in the Democratic Process in Iraq. A National Conference will be held soon, and the Unions think they were given a small percentage of representation in it, and this gathering is an attempt to raise voices to the coordinating authority of that Conference. Our gathering will be attended by the State Minster of Civilian Organizations. Every Union chairman talked about his Union, its history, and the importance of its role in society, the Doctor’s Union, the Dentist’s Union, the Pharmaceutics’ Union, the Engineer’s Union, the Agricultural Engineers, the Geological Engineers, Teachers, writers, and the Assisting Paramedics Unions…
They demanded to be given seats by new percentages in the on coming Conference, in accordance with the volume of these Unions in society.
The Teachers Union represents (500,000) members, the Engineer’s Union (120,000), the Doctor’s Union (27,000), the Dentist’s (7,000), , the Agricultural Engineers (36,000)… The Teachers Union was established in 1935, , the Engineer’s Union in 1938. [HC note: this might appear to give them more legitimacy among their members than the present interim ‘government’?]
Then the Minister spoke, said he had listened to the view points, and will take them in consideration , that he is willing in his Ministry to receive any comments or complaints from any Organization working in Iraq. Then he gathered up his papers and left the Hall.
A delegation of two people came, and the conference chairman announced that they were a delegation sent from the coordinating authority of the National Conference, to speak about its organization, and answer our questions.
One of the delegation members spoke, said that the Conference has chosen about 1000-1200 Iraqi people, and those will elect a temporary National Council of 100 people, 20 seats of them belonging to members of the former Governing Council, which means only 80 people will be elected. Next Saturday is the date for the conference–voices rose in the Hall, and objections, when everyone was surprised by this news–, discussions were opened, and members of different unions spoke about not making known the date of the Conference to the public, nor was it clearly announced in newspapers or on T.V., that it resembles a dish cooked in the kitchen without the knowledge of the people– and this is a non-possible shame in the time of democracy.
They distributed a news journal in the name of the Conference, bearing a broad, red inked headline: The United Nation’s Delegate says that this Conference will be the first step on the road to democracy in Iraq.
I took the journal, then raised my hand, asking permission to join in the discussion, the man responsible for organizing the session signaled his agreement, so I came forward, the journal folded in my hand, announced my name and career, then started talking about the journal’s headline. I said: If this headline was true, where is the Democracy? We heard today about the Conference and its date, and that is two or three days ahead, so, what is the point in our gathering today? What shall be the outcome of our discussion? If every thing was pre-arranged and prepared, then what are we doing now? The Iraqis lived long years in the dark, now has come the time for them to practice Democracy, and this practice needs the people to be educated, for long months and years, the Conference should be talked about, the Iraqi’s right to participate in it should be made clear, because the Iraqi does not know his rights. That process of explaining and clarifying should have taken place in meetings, in all areas, organizations, and unions, and the security conditions should not have been taken as an excuse to run away from this responsibility, this transparency… This is the first step??? Such a full-of-mistakes -first-step, the Iraqis will spend coming years trying to correct the mistakes that are happening now. Then I repeat my question, what are we doing here today??

I laughed bitterly, said: Peace be upon you-( Assalam Alaikum), and went back to my seat–the people applauded, my friend said: you were talking enthusiastically, angrily. I said: well, I’m sorry, but the situation does not bear diplomacy and coolness.
I thought to my self, perhaps one day we will arrange educational courses by the title: How to speak coolly, while you are at the top of anger…
An old-aged lawyer spoke after me, said he lived in Al-Harthiya district, and while he was in the mosque a few days ago, a group of people came, carrying 50 nomination papers, and told us to elect 20 out of 50– the population of the district counts some (30,000) people, and the papers were only seen by a small number of people–I have lived some years of my life, (he told), in America and England, but have never seen such a democracy. Are these the correct practices to build a new, democratic Iraq??
We all applauded him, and cheered him.
The delegation on the dais were writing down our comments, with faces turning red in fury– then answered back our criticism–they said the security condition is the cause, that some mistakes and transgressions did take place, for lack of experience by the conference committee…
We found their answers silly, illogical, and unconvincing…

Anyway, read the whole thing. She’s great.
I totally agree with Faiza that the current election-prep process lacks many, many elements of democratic legitimacy. Having said that, though, I still stand by the judgment I made on my comment board here yesterday, that real politics is taking place in Iraq, around the present National Conference.
True, that politics is very far from being “pure” democratic practice. But Allawi was forced–through the strength of the opinions expressed in the conference–to at least suspend the assault on the Sadrists, even if only for a little while; and also to try the latest peacemaking overture to them.
If there’d been no “National Conference”, I doubt he and the Americans would have halted for a moment…
Anyway, I’m planning to write more on this this evening. Now I need to get back to writing about Africa.