The Failure of Democracy in Iraq studies democratization in post-2003 Iraq, which has so far failed, due mainly to cultural and religious reasons. There are other factors, such as the legacy of the dictatorial regime, exclusionary policies, the problem of stateness, interference by regional powers, the rentier economy and sectarianism, that have impeded democracy and contributed to its failure, but the employment of religion in politics was the most to blame.
The establishment of stable democratic institutions continues to elude Iraq, 15 years after toppling the dictatorship. The post-2003 Iraq could not completely eradicate the long historical tradition of despotic governance due to deep-seated religious beliefs and tribal values, along with widening societal ethno-sectarian rifts which precluded the negotiation of firm and stable elite settlements and pacts across communal lines. The book examines how the fear in neighbouring countries of a region-wide domino effect of the Iraq democratization process caused them to adopt interventionist policies towards Iraq that helped to stunt the development of democracy. The lack of commitment by the initiator of the democratic process, the United States, undermined the prospects of democratic consolidation. This is compounded by serious mistakes such as de-Ba’athification and the disbanding of the Iraqi army and security apparatuses which caused a security vacuum the US forces were not able to fill.
Author(s): Hamid Alkifaey
Series: Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Democratization and Government, 25
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2019
Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
Elections and fatwas
Democracy or shura?
Voters’ motivation
Aims of the book
Notes
2 Methodology
Why case study?
Interviews
Notes
3 Liberty and democracy
Liberty
Tolerance with ‘tacit reserves’
Freedom of expression
Resuscitating past evils
Collision of opinions
Lesson for Iraq
Liberalization
Zeitgeist
Power to the people
Democracy and elections
Benefits of democracy
Notes
4 Democratization
Introduction
State and nation
Irredenta
Citizens not subjects
Democratic consolidation
Paths to democracy
Types of nondemocratic regimes
What type is Saddam’s regime?
Why does regime type matter?
Democratization and economic development
Outcomes of democratization
Prospects
Challenges to democracy
Notes
5 Religion and politics
Relevance of religion
Political liberalism
Society types
Islam and governance
Caliphate was a mistake
Arabs and politics
Religion doesn’t need a government
Major hurdles to democracy
Notes
6 Political Islam and democracy
Introduction
Historical background
Khums (tax at 20 per cent)
Jihad
Shrines and religious holidays
Sunni doctrines
Sunni Arabs
Islamist parties under democracy
Notes
7 Use of religion for political purposes
Why do Islamists reject democracy?
Religious immunity
Coexistence is possible!
The need for tolerance
Local values
Democratic mechanism
Using Islam to deceive people!
Islamic democracy
Intrinsic failure
Voting on religious basis
Notes
8 Sectarianism
Prologue
Sunni dominance
Discrimination under Ba’ath
Sunni displeasure
Sectarianism impedes democracy
Notes
9 Lack of democratic tradition
Novelty of experiment
Historical example
Undemocratic culture
Notes
10 Political and administrative errors
De-Ba’athification
Disbanding the Iraqi Army and police
Unsuitable electoral system
Partisan Election Commission (IHEC)
Ambiguous and rigid constitution
Achilles’ Heel
Notes
11 Exogenous factors
Weak sponsor commitment
Hostile environment
Outside interference
Insurgency
Armed groups and militias
Notes
12 Structural factors
Stateness
Rentier state
Level of economic prosperity
Weak institutions
Corruption
Weak and divided secular movement
Absence of capable national leaders
Divided polities
Notes
13 Conclusion
Recommendations for reform and further research
Notes
Appendix
Bibliography
Index
