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Salam Pax: Instant Democracy
In the run-up to the Iraq conflict, Salam Pax captured a global following with his web diary from Baghdad. This is the first in a series of blog posts he will be writing for Guardian Unlimited as Iraqis prepare to go the polls for the third time in 11 months
A couple of days ago I sent an email about the up-coming elections in Iraq to a friend in the UK. The reply came yesterday asking “Elections? What elections? Didn’t you guys have one just a couple of months ago?” ... and this is from someone I thought was "with it".
I have to admit, it is pretty confusing. We Iraqis went from absolutely no elections for 30 years to having to vote three times within an eleven-month period. I tell you, we’re exhausted. All this voting is not only confusing but hard work. You don’t go from zero exercise to running marathons, do you? But I guess in this day and age we have to get used to fast everything.
...
After spending most of September having mealtime rows about the constitution, we seem to be happy to ignore politics and just do friendly chitchat. The last time my mother and brother had a noisy argument about politics, my father announced that he was not prepared to listen to endless arguments yet again before the prospective voting date. Political discontent has been stamped out quickly this time in the Pax household.
On the street there doesn’t seem to be much interest in the elections either. You just don’t feel the spark. Last year newspapers dedicated large sections to debating democracy and the elections. Television stations had endless programmes about the same issues. It was all so exciting.
These days the Iraqi media is a bit more distracted - torture allegations at the ministry of interior and a big meeting in Cairo - and the people are just plain tired of listening to the same promises all over again. Within a year we've gone from being excited to cynical. A note for future “democracy advancing projects” around the world: fast-tracking democracy means you also fast-track political apathy.
The only people who are excited at the prospect of new elections are the politicians themselves. There are posters and banners everywhere. Iraq's independent electoral commission has registered more than 400 political entities, both parties and independent individuals. We won’t have a ballot sheet, it will be more like a ballot booklet.
Read More
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/2005/11/24/instant_democracy.html
I have to admit, it is pretty confusing. We Iraqis went from absolutely no elections for 30 years to having to vote three times within an eleven-month period. I tell you, we’re exhausted. All this voting is not only confusing but hard work. You don’t go from zero exercise to running marathons, do you? But I guess in this day and age we have to get used to fast everything.
...
After spending most of September having mealtime rows about the constitution, we seem to be happy to ignore politics and just do friendly chitchat. The last time my mother and brother had a noisy argument about politics, my father announced that he was not prepared to listen to endless arguments yet again before the prospective voting date. Political discontent has been stamped out quickly this time in the Pax household.
On the street there doesn’t seem to be much interest in the elections either. You just don’t feel the spark. Last year newspapers dedicated large sections to debating democracy and the elections. Television stations had endless programmes about the same issues. It was all so exciting.
These days the Iraqi media is a bit more distracted - torture allegations at the ministry of interior and a big meeting in Cairo - and the people are just plain tired of listening to the same promises all over again. Within a year we've gone from being excited to cynical. A note for future “democracy advancing projects” around the world: fast-tracking democracy means you also fast-track political apathy.
The only people who are excited at the prospect of new elections are the politicians themselves. There are posters and banners everywhere. Iraq's independent electoral commission has registered more than 400 political entities, both parties and independent individuals. We won’t have a ballot sheet, it will be more like a ballot booklet.
Read More
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/2005/11/24/instant_democracy.html
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