NO GUARDIANS, NO PROBLEM:

More Iraqis look to vote secular Dec. 15: Many see the nonsectarian parties as the best alternative for a unified and stable Iraq. (Howard LaFranchi , 12/05/05, The Christian Science Monitor)

"This contest between the secular and religious visions of government is really the main choice to be made," says Adnan Pachachi, a prominent Sunni statesman who has joined Mr. Allawi's Iraqi National list. "It won't be decided in one election, but it is a basic choice between an open and progressive Iraq and one that is backward and continues to fall behind."

"Yes, there is an Islamic identity to the people of Iraq and their history," he adds. "But the question is if we will be Islamic in identity and modern and open, or more like countries where religion plays a more important governing role, like Iran, Afghanistan under the Taliban, and Saudi Arabia. Those examples are not very inspiring."

A viable secular party is all to the good, but Iraqis seem most likely to look to the Iranian example and, when they do, to see a country that just needs to move towards a more Iraq-like constitutional order to become a fully functional liberal democracy.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 5, 2005 8:07 AM