Democracy is best served by strict separation of...

They rambled about the pledge for a long time, huh?

Election results were announced today for Iraq's national assembly. The assembly will be creating a new democratic constitution for Iraq. The religious Shiite parties won more votes than the other party coalitions with 48% of the total. The mostly secular Kurdish parties came in second with 26%. The remaining 26% went to other parties.

hyper,

I thought maybe we could put Iraq into an A2K petri dish and study what happens when religion and secular politics interact in the formation of a new democracy.

Should we continue that on this post, or should I start a new one?

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BAGHDAD - The shy family doctor who became the leading candidate for prime minister Tuesday says ending the nation's rampant violence is his top priority and that U.S. troops would remain as long as they are needed to achieve that goal.

In an exclusive Associated Press interview, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a 58-year-old moderate Shiite Muslim politician who fled a brutal crackdown by Saddam Hussein in 1980, also talked about drafting a constitution that will draw not only on Islam for inspiration.

"Islam should be the official religion of the country, and one of the main sources for legislation, along with other sources that do not harm Muslim sensibilities," said al-Jaafari, who currently serves as Iraq's interim vice president and was living in London until Saddam's regime was overthrown.

He said he supports women's rights, including the right to be the president or prime minister, as well as self-determination and individual freedoms for all Iraqis.

The interview took place in the office of al-Jaafari's home in the U.S.-guarded Green Zone in central Baghdad. Islamic art, much of it Quranic verses with intricate Arabic calligraphy in gold that are common in Iraq, adorned the walls. An Iraqi flag was hanging from a pole set on a floor stand in the background. A computer was on his desk.

Al-Jaafari, the leader of the Dawa Party, became the top contender for Iraq's top government post after his main rival, Adel Abdul Mahdi, dropped out. Ahmad Chalabi, a former Pentagon favorite, was still in the running for prime minister, but was considered by many to be a long shot.

Al-Jaafari said that if he is confirmed as prime minister, he would first try to stymie the violence that has crippled the country's recovery from decades of war and hardship.

"The security situation is at the top, as it is a pressing element," al-Jaafari said. As a result, he said he would not push for the United States and its allies to withdraw their troops from Iraq any time soon.

"Blood is being spilled, and the land is under attack," he said. "How about if we decided to get these troops out of Iraq?" he said, suggesting that the situation would be much worse than it is now.

Iraqi Shia leaders demand sharia law

Senior leaders in Iraq's Shia Muslim community are demanding the country base its laws and new constitution on the principles of Islam.

The main Shia coalition is expected to be the biggest winner out of last month's national election.

A representative of one of Iraq's most powerful Shia leaders, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad al-Fayad, has issued a statement demanding that the Koran be the reference point for all government legislation.

I cannot believe that a democracy can form from this. The only was a middle-eastern country, or any country, can benefit from a democracy is through separation of chuch and state.