Iraq’s Democratization, Religion and Future System of Government

Iraq is an influential power in the Middle East. Since the downfall of the Ba’athist regime of Saddam Hussein after the US invasion of Iraq, the United States has dominated the political restructuring process of Iraq and designed a parliamentary democratic political system for the country. A new power structure has been established in Iraq with three major forces – the Shiites, the Sunnis and the Kurds – jointly governing the country. However, due to the complexities of the ethnic and religious problems, the clear differences in the dominant philosophies of different factions and the fierce battles to secure their own privileges and interests, the US-dominated democratic reform of Iraq has met with serious setbacks.