Nation's 20th election since days of Ottoman empire

IRAQ: Tomorrow's Iraqi election is the 20th national consultation since the country emerged from the Ottoman empire in the wake of the first World War.

In the first, in 1921, the British mandatory regime asked Iraqi tribal notables if they would accept a monarchy as their form of government and Sharif Faisal of Mecca as their first king. Ninety-six per cent voted Yes and he became Faisal I.

In carefully managed parliamentary elections in 1930, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1939, and 1943, pro-government, i.e., pro-British, independents won more than 70 per cent of the vote.

This did not mean that parliament was totally subservient. An 87-year old Iraqi observer of the post-independence scene told The Irish Times, "There were always a number of opposition members in parliament and they played their part."

For example, she said, "King Faisal would occasionally ask one or other opposition MP to table a proposal which he wanted to see adopted. He would argue that if it came from him the British would reject it. If, however, an opposition parliamentarian put forward the measure, the king would tell the British it should be considered seriously."

The game plan began to change in 1947 when the veteran politician and British favourite, Nuri Said, and his associates won 70 per cent of the vote. He dominated parliament in the elections of 1948 and 1953.

However, since the situation in the country was restive, fresh elections were called. Pro-government independents secured 70 per cent in the 1954 poll but the election was annulled after 10 leftists won seats (women took part in this election). In a second poll that year, Baathists and pro-government independents took 100 per cent. Thereafter, there were no elections for 26 years.

In 1958, Arab nationalists led by Abdel Karim Qassem overthrew the monarchy and put an end to Britain's indirect role in Iraqi political life. In 1963, the Baath Party assumed power but engaged in a tussle with the nationalists until 1968, when the Baath Party staged a coup.

In elections in 1980, 1989, 1996, and 2000, Baathists took 75 per cent of the vote, while in referendums in 1995 and 2002, Saddam Hussein was confirmed president by 99.96 and 100 per cent of the vote. A law was adopted ahead of the 1980 election granting all Iraqis the franchise as long as they had no criminal records or connections to foreign powers. Parliament under the Baathists rubber-stamped the policies of the government which was dominated by the party's revolutionary command council, headed by Saddam.