The UN has stated that Iraq cannot support elections before June 30, backing the American line on the issue.
As much as it may pain me to say this, the UN is right on this issue. Without a strong basis in civil society, Iraq cannot support truly free elections, and any attempt to push direct elections ahead would virtually ensure that the Shi’as would be able to use their majority to harm the Sunni minority in Iraq.
The transition to sovereign government on June 30th will be only one of many steps towards a lasting democracy. It is in the best interests of both the Iraqi people and the rest of the world to take the process of democratization slowly. Democracy cannot sprout up overnight, it is an evolutionary process, and the UN is correct to counsel patience in this process.
