Democracy works only if it is restrained by an overriding set of objective principles. Something that says, "this particular thing is not subject to majority rule." For example, it should not be possible for a majority vote to legalize slavery again.

The Constitution still serves this function in the U.S., although a number of glaring loopholes have been drilled through it to advance centralized authority.

Which hole-drilling began* with the abrogation of "states' rights", which were invoked in support of -- yes -- slavery.

The institution of slavery was not only condoned and supported, it was actually written into the original overriding set of objective principles, aka the Constitution of the United States of America, in the form of the 2/3 Compromise, in which black slaves were counted as partial persons for purposes of representation, even as they were considered property for other purposes.

So, as an example of democracy as process, this illustrates the point nicely. Founding principles must be vaguely representative and subject to ratification, debate, and recision, but may still be odious to a significant number of the citizens, and barbaric by the standards of other times and cultures. The important thing being, the system must be one that the people of the time and place for which it is designed can work with.

Something like that has to be the underpinning of any form of government in Iraq as well, to prevent the abuses that a pure democracy would be subject to.

Any Iraqi democracy must have a constitution. Yes, of course. Every nation ruled by an elected government must have a rule book. The Iraqis will write it as they see fit. Not as the Americans see fit. Because it will be their democracy, and not our puppet regime that must look to the US before it blows its nose. They will set the terms for themselves, as would any sovereign nation. And if we don't like it, we will be welcome to say so, draw ourselves up to our full height, and mind our own business.

Regards--
Mary Anne

*though there are those who would point to the founding of the Bank of the United States as the first real hole. See "Alexander Hamilton", "John Marshall", and "Andrew Jackson".