Wonderful, Wonderful News…
…if it holds. It’s unofficial, but it looks like Sunni oppositionists failed in their quest to derail the new Iraqi Constitution, passing the two-thirds against threshold in only 2 of the required 3 provinces. I think it is very obvious that even the Sunnis who opposed the Constitution must have believed in the electoral process, because turnout was unexpectedly high among the areas opposing the document – and people don’t make a point to show up when they think it’s pointless. Turnout apparently exceed 60% overall. If this holds, the Shiites and Kurds must make every effort now to incorporate the Sunnis into any future planning, so they don’t feel marginalized. Needless to say, I’m very, very optimistic…
Let’s all raise a figurative glass–or a literal one if you’re sitting at my desk. As far as I’m concerned, this happened because the Shiites and Kurds already have made every effort to get the Sunnis into the process, and the Sunnis concluded that this is the wave of the future. In some ways, keeping the Kurds involved will be the biggest challenge, but, for the moment they’re in it together and here’s to them!
Great news.