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Iraqi Politics Must Shake Legacy of Dictatorship

Although it has been 10 years since Saddam Hussein was ousted by US forces, Iraqi politics remain mired in the legacy of dictatorship.
A view of al-Firdous square, where the statue of Saddam Hussein used to stand, in Baghdad April 9, 2012. U.S. Marines pulled down the statue of the dictator on April 9, 2003, marking the end of more than 35 years of iron-fisted rule by Saddam's Baath Party.  REUTERS/Saad Shalash (IRAQ - Tags: CONFLICT POLITICS) - RTR30ITJ
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Do the members of the Iraqi political class believe in the slogans of democracy that they call for? This is a vital question in today's Iraq, where actual political practices often appear inconsistent with the democratic framework of the new Iraqi state.

In any normal democratic system, elections are an opportunity to show the level of competition between adversaries. However, elections are only one phase and one part of democracy. The stage characterized by accusations and collisions that accompanies elections shifts immediately following the elections to a stage of competition, this time within the framework of political achievement.

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