"It is better to show people that they can say no and still be a part of the political organization," he said. "Otherwise, people will see they have no one in the political system. They will lose hope, and when they lose hope they turn to violence."
As Jubouri spoke, Asi was visiting another part of Baghdad from his base in Kirkuk. He was trying to persuade political leaders to postpone the elections.
Mishaan Jubouri, 47, is running for election to the National Assembly, but doesn't campaign in his home district of Mosul because of threats.
(File Photo)
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"Realistically, the problem is not Sunni and Shia," he said. "The problem is the marginalization of the army and the Baath Party." The current violence, he said, was the result of a decision early in the occupation by the U.S. administrator, L. Paul Bremer, to disband the 600,000-member Iraqi army and the party that controlled the government agencies. The two institutions' disenfranchised members have led the violent opposition to the elections, Asi argued, saying more time was needed to bring them into the process before a vote is held.
"Saddam Hussein is done now, but the mistakes of the United States should not continue in Iraq," Asi said. "We cannot have an election while the Baathist people cannot participate. We need to have a national reconciliation before elections. We need to redeploy the army and restore the Baath Party. If we do that, we could reduce the resistance by half and hold the elections."
Asi, 53, who wears the robes and the white headdress of a traditional leader, is an engineer by training. His clan, the Ubaidis, is old and influential in the area. Many in the tribe, and Asi himself, had strained relations with Hussein. "I am not a Baathist, not a supporter of the army or Saddam Hussein," said Asi, who nevertheless contends that the Shiite parties can be offset only by restoring those traditional pillars of power.
"If those political parties, which have their base in Iran, win the election, there will be very dangerous consequences for Iraq," he said over bitter Arabic coffee at a Baghdad hotel, between his political meetings.
"The moderates are living in conflict now," he said. "We want to participate in the election and rebuild our country, but in such circumstances as these, we are confused. It is impossible to hold an election when so many cannot participate.
"My people are being killed in Ramadi, Irbil, Tikrit, Mosul, everywhere," he said. "The resistance calls anyone who participates in the election an infidel. It is impossible to participate. . . .
"I have supporters in every part of Iraq. But if they don't go to vote, what's the point of standing for election? I would only lose my standing."
