Pachachi: Fundamental Law to be Drafted by Jan. 31
This month’s president of the Interim Governing Council, Adnan Pachachi, said in a Thursday news conference in Baghdad that he hoped the IGC would finish drafting in January the Fundamental Law that would govern the forthcoming Iraqi elections, and that in February it will be presented to the Iraqi people for their approval. It will be discussed in town hall meetings and in the media, so that the IGC can get feedback. (Note that no referendum is planned, which is convenient for the IGC, since it can respond to feedback or not). He said the Fundamental Law would allow provincial councils to elect a parliament of 250 members.
Pachachi also met with local Iraqi entrepreneurs and investors eager to get contracts for rebuilding Iraq. They complained bitterly about “a second foreign invasion,” referring to Western firms getting these contracts, and raised the call, “Iraq for the Iraqis.” This slogan was met with great all-around approval, including from a minister appointed by the US appointed Interim Governing Council! (The Iraqi bourgeoisie seems rather miffed by US economic policies since the fall of Saddam; since the Iraqi bourgeoisie ought to have been a key US ally, this mood points to a potentially severe problem).