BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iraqi compromise fuels angry debate:
I vote for a new system here in England, where we would need a two thirds majority vote to elect our leaders.
We would have to have Charles Kennedy as leader.
As it is we have Blair, in spite of the fact that less than half the people in this country voted for him.
"The TAL two-thirds clause enraged Professor Juan Cole, author of a widely read and respected web diary on events in Iraq.
He calls it a 'neo-colonial imposition' which the Iraqi public 'were never asked about'.
In countries from the UK, to France, to India, argued Professor Cole, a simple majority is enough to form a government.
'In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the two-thirds super-majority is characteristic of only one nation on Earth, i.e. American Iraq. I fear it is functioning in an anti-democratic manner to thwart the will of the majority of Iraqis, who braved great danger to come out and vote.' "
1 comment:
I don't think (as I recall) it was the 2/3 majority rule that annoyed Cole, so much as the single-chamber rule. A bi-cameral legislature would have helped balance the powers to make the government more representative of the various ethnic groups.
Love your blog. (from an expat)
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