Iraqi News Iraq election reprieve fails to hide sectarian tensions

[donwells]

Last month, 511 candidates were barred from participating in the 7 March Iraqi elections, ostensibly due to their links with Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist regime. While this applied to a mix of Sunni, Shia and secular candidates, the lack of transparency and accountability ensured that the step was widely regarded as a measure to marginalise the Sunni community.

Despite a history of co-operative and peaceful existence, sectarian identities were politicised in Iraq by Saddam's extensive use of patronage networks. The security vacuum and insecurities that have plagued post-occupation Iraq have exacerbated these tensions. So has the use of proxies by Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The boycott by Sunni parties undermined the legitimacy of the 2005 election and a similar scenario was feared again this year. The decision by the Accountability and Justice Commission to allow candidates to run, although not to hold office until they are cleared of Ba'athist links, should restore some credibility to the process.

The decision appears to have been pushed through in part by US Vice-President Joe Biden, who visited Baghdad late last month. As such, it has been dismissed by some as an attempt to ensure "smooth sailing" until the US withdrawal.