A lot remains to be done to convince Iraqis of the legitimacy of interim institutions and forthcoming elections, writes Nermeen Al-Mufti from Baghdad Scenes of destruction, the bombings and clashes that take the life of dozens of Iraqis everyday can give the impression that the war is still underway and the occupation here to stay. But earnest efforts are underway for the handing over of power to Iraqis. If sovereignty is handed back to Iraqis on 30 June, as promised, that day will be Iraq's national day. The Iraqis may have little confidence in the US administration and the UN, but most of them have decided to wait and see what the elections would do for their war-torn country. Hamid Majid Musa, secretary-general of the Iraqi Communist Party, chairs the election committee of the now disbanded Interim Governing Council (IGC). Musa has been closely involved with the efforts of the UN team on elections -- the team that accompanied Lakhdar Brahimi on his visits to Iraq. The election committee chaired by Musa will disband on 30 June so that a seven-member committee appointed by the UN, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and the IGC may assume the task of preparing for the general elections which are to take place before the end of January 2005. Before it disbanded, the IGC made preparations for the National Congress to be held in July to select an interim National Council, which -- along with the government and presidency -- will form the third pillar of national government, according to Musa. Will Iraqis trust a communist and a former member of the IGC to head the elections committee? This is why I am working extra hard to make sure that the country has the climate, regulations, laws and measures ensuring that elections will be fair, free and credible. What are the guarantees? That the supervising committee be independent, neutral and impartial; that its members are highly qualified, upstanding and capable of taking firm decisions and not succumbing to pressures from government and parties; that they respect the law and are committed to fair elections under UN supervision. But the Iraqis are often critical of the UN? One may criticise some aspects of the UN, even the conduct of its agencies, but the UN is important for elections and we need it to ensure the probity of elections. The role of the UN requires a positive stand and true understanding on the side of the interim government. These elections are the right way towards building democratic and legitimate institutions. The issue of legitimacy in democracy is vital. Do I detect doubts on your part concerning the interim government's position? There is no doubt that the government is seriously committed to bolstering the political process and implementing its programme. One of the underpinnings of this programme is successful elections. But what happened in the course of the president's appointment -- with regard to Pachachi and Al-Yawar -- cannot be reassuring to Iraqis. I don't know how people see this matter. It is quite different from the way the media depicted it. What happened was that some people made the nominations but mismanaged the details, which resulted in confusion and an abnormal atmosphere. But it all ended well. The elections will be different. No one is going to decide who is the next president; only the ballot box will. The UN emissary, the CPA and the IGC will have nothing to do with it. The elections will be up to the people and the ballot box to decide. Do you expect trouble -- for example, that someone may try to buy votes -- considering how widespread unemployment and poverty are? Trouble and complications can occur. It is the duty of the supervising agency to guarantee the probity of the process, provide the right climate and prevent tampering and the buying of votes. Things can happen in secrecy, but excesses will be punishable under the law. What are the mechanisms for the elections? The elections will be held in January 2005 at the latest, with the entire country treated as one constituency. Members of the National Assembly will be elected and the latter will select the president and his two deputies from among them. There will be 275 deputies in the Assembly, elected by over 8 million Iraqis. The Assembly will select the prime minister and approve his cabinet. More importantly, the Assembly will prepare the draft constitution, which will be submitted to public referendum in August 2005. At the end of 2005, new elections will be held on the basis of the constitution and a long-term government will be formed. How are you going to provide security for the elections? The army, police and civil defence, among others, are capable and willing to provide protection. The US army is not going to take part in that process but will stay to protect the country from foreign intervention. Will there be a quota system? When the IGC was formed, national and sectarian quotas were clear. With the formation of the interim government, quotas became less pronounced and less discussed, though the government represents the entire gamut of Iraqi society. In the next election, the ballot box, as I said, will decide, irrespective of any conditions.
