BACK TO BASICS:

The rule of law: a new prime minister in Baghdad, and an old role model (The Daily Star, May 29, 2004)

Iraq has a prime minister in waiting. On Friday, the Iraqi Governing Council unanimously endorsed Iyad Allawi, a British-educated neurologist, in the post, which will take effect on June 30 when US rule through the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) ends.

This represents the beginning of a new era for Iraq, and a heavy burden will rest on the shoulders of the new prime minister. It will be in his job description to be a symbol of renewal, and there will be those, as we have seen, who will do their utmost to make his task as difficult as possible.

The immediate challenge is to muster momentum among Iraqis to push the United States, the United Nations and all other influential players in the unfolding Iraq drama to work toward developing and then implementing a comprehensive legal system for Iraq. [...]

At this juncture it should be remembered that Iraq, in its ancient Mesopotamian incarnation, was the land that gave the world the first written code of laws in human history - the code of Hammurabi, c.1700 BC. Hammurabi was the sixth king of the Amorite Dynasty of Old Babylon.

Allawi has much work to do, and he must begin now. If Hammurabi can be a source of inspiration, then all the better. If Iraq succeeds in the enormous task that lies ahead - and a tragedy for the world it will be if it does not - then instituting the rule of law will be a foundation stone of that success. And, in so doing, Iraq will set an example for the other states of the Middle East that still have much to learn about the rule of law.

It would be a very good thing for democracy joined with the rule of law to be a source of pride in the Middle East.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 28, 2004 11:11 PM