EXACTLY HOW DEMOCRACY IS SUPPOSED TO WORK:

Absent Allawi May Be Biding His Time: Critics say Iraq's former premier is bitter over not being offered a top post. Supporters say he is rebuilding his party for the next election. (Edmund Sanders, April 12, 2005, LA Times)

When Iraq's new government finally emerged last week and the nation's political heavyweights stood before the National Assembly, shaking hands and accepting congratulations, one man was noticeably absent from the stage: Iyad Allawi, who had served as prime minister since last summer. [...]

His supporters say he is busy working on the hand-over and weighing his next political move, which could be transforming his Iraqi National Accord into an opposition party and preparing to run in the next election, which is expected by year's end.