MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ NATIONAL ASSEMBLY,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002450

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/PPD, NEA/PPA, NEA/AGS, INR/IZ,
INR/P
E.0. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO IZ
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ NATIONAL ASSEMBLY,
GOVERNMENT; BAGHDAD


1. SUMMARY: The major themes in the daily newspapers on
June. 9 were the Badr Organization's conference, Arab Sunni
participation in the constitutional committee, and the
developments of the security situation. END SUMMARY.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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A. "Familiarity" (Al-Sabah, 6/9)

B. "The four portfolios" (Al-Bayyan, 6/9)

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SELECTED COMMENTARIES
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A. "Familiarity" (Al-Sabah, 6/9)

Al-Sabah (independent) published a front-page editorial by
Muhammad Abdul Jabbar about the National Assembly's
meetings:

"Transparency of political life in democratic regimes means
that the citizenry must be informed about the decisions of
the parliament. It is simply improper to make political
discussions behind closed doors. In Kuwait, for instance,
journalists and citizens that wish to attend parliamentary
sessions are given their own private seats to view the
events. In Britain, parliamentary meetings are broadcast
live on public television. This way, millions of people in
these countries are aware of what is being discussed in
their respective parliaments.

In Iraq, the National Assembly members are the elected
representatives of the people. Iraqi citizens have a right
to be informed about their representatives' discussions and
decisions. As a result, the people will be able to monitor
and analyze the performance of their representatives in
order to ensure that they are living up to the people's
expectations. There is no need for secret sessions of the
parliament unless there is an urgent state of affairs that
requires they be held secretly for the sake of protecting
our national security. It is acceptable to make these
particular sessions secret, but only if certain matters are
discussed that cannot be disclosed outside government
circles.

Nonetheless, the Iraqi National Assembly is not an ordinary
commission. It is a foundational assembly that is
responsible for preparing the draft of the permanent
constitution. The Assembly was elected for this very
purpose. However, until now, the National Assembly's
sessions and discussions have been far from public
knowledge. At times, assembly members have disclosed
information to the media outlets that are hungry for
knowledge. This scenario only sheds light on the fact that
public opinion is ignorant about what is really going on
inside the National Assembly. The constitutional committee
must address this issue because it is tasked with a mission
that is more important than that of the National Assembly.
For the sake of the political process and the transparency
of democracy, the assembly members must allow journalists
to attend the assembly's meetings. The Assembly must allow
citizens to attend these sessions and it must broadcast
these sessions live on Al-Iraqiyya television. In addition,
the National Assembly must publish the transcripts of its
sessions."


B. "The four portfolios" (Al-Bayyan, 6/9)

Al-Bayyan (affiliated with the Islamic Dawa Party led by
Al-Jafari) published a front-page editorial about the
developments of the political process in Iraq:

"Without a doubt, the major developments that Iraq has
witnessed after the elections have provided good reasons
for the neighboring countries to reconsider their
relationships with Iraq. Among these developments include
the formation of an elected government and the continued
forward progress of the political process. The neighboring
countries must help Iraq by making progress in four major
portfolios. The first portfolio revolves around stabilizing
security because this issue provides the foundation of the
Iraqi political process. Indeed, stabilizing security at
the present time is extremely important because this stage
will witness the constitution-drafting process, which will
ultimately lead to stabilization in Iraq. The second
portfolio for these neighboring countries is to open
embassies in Iraq. This issue has become increasingly
important, especially after the formation of an elected
Iraqi government that has the ability to act on an equal
footing with its neighbors. For this reason, we call on the
neighboring countries to enlarge their diplomatic
representation in Iraq.

The third portfolio concerns the issue of debt. The
neighboring countries must cancel the debts owed to them
because these debts belong to the former regime. Our
neighbors must cancel these debts because Iraq is unable to
pay them. In addition, canceling these debts will improve
Iraq's relationships with these countries. The fourth
portfolio that requires action on the part of Iraq's
neighbors is reconstruction. The neighboring countries will
certainly benefit from participating in the reconstruction
of Iraq and it will pave the way for further cooperation.
If the neighboring countries do not participate in Iraq's
reconstruction, other countries from outside the region
will certainly seize upon this opportunity. In closing, we
call on the neighboring countries to develop good relations
with Iraq. We hope that these relationships will satisfy
the willpower of the Arab people and ensure mutual Arab
cooperation that is based on the unity of language,
religion, and destiny."

SATTERFIELD