-Thorough vetting of all candidates by a free press, accompanied by education in the concept of "stealth candidates" for the electorate.

-The existence of a free, vocal and politically diverse press. (Please note that a primary political target of fundamentalists and other idealogues has been the press.)

-Support organizations for the women who are free to vote, so that they can be free not to be beaten for it when they get home.

Abdullah: "We got the results of the election today, and the fundamentalist candidate lost." Fatima: "Oh, no!" Abdullah: "We did the math at the mosque and discovered that, polling the men, we all voted for the fundamentalist candidate. We have all been urged to discipline our wives." Fatima: "But I voted the way you told me!" Abdullah: "Daughter of Eve, I don't believe you!" [ensuing violence] Fatima [calling to passing police]: "Help! My husband is beating me!" Police: "A man is master of his household. What did you do to provoke him?"

Next election, what's the outcome?

It takes a long time to reclaim one's identity from property status. This is widely known among people who work with victims of abuse in the United States, where abuse is still sometimes institutionalized but at least not approved of.

The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.

Stephen Biko, Capetown, 1971.

-Severe and absolute separation of the civilian government from participation by active members of the military except as individual voters.

-Court systems that work, to oversee the elections and enforce electoral regulations. One can't really say "to enforce the law", because Iraq has no legally constituted government at the moment, and so is literally a lawless society, except for the order enforced by mullah and militia.

Separation of church and state is far away from cultural norms in Iraq, even though its population is aware of and participates in secular culture. It will be enough if the Iraqis decide not to establish a religion. To do that they will first have to establish a working government.

The fundamentalists may be in the minority, though we can't really know that in the current chaos, but they are one thing in spades that the secularists aren't: organized. They have objectives, they have a network, and they have people who will do as they are told. This equals a political machine. Add to that, the fervor of religious fanaticism and the conviction that God is on their side, and you have a formidable organ for taking control of a community.

The Jacobins weren't in the majority in France, either. Nor, for that matter, were the American Patriots.

There must be other conditions I missed. Without infrastructure to support free elections and to enforce their results, there will be no representative government and no freedom for Iraqis.

Regards--
Mary Anne