It is difficult to implement democracy in a country - such as Iraq - which, at one stage of its history, had gone through political and economic complexities that left their impact on its intellectual structures, to be reflected in its political practices. This is a result of the conditions that the people were subjected to during the dictatorship rule, the like of which the world has not seen, and which spanned for nearly 40 years.

In this context, The members of the Center expressed their opinions during the discussion that took place between them about "democracy". Among the interlocutors were the following Messrs:

1. Dr. Abd Ali Sofieh | Consultant at the French Ministry of Education

2. Dr. Mustafa Al-Naji| Researcher in the Iraqi parliament

3. Mr. Sardar Abdullah | former deputy

4. Dr. Ali Al-Baghdadi |Academic

5. Shorouq Al-Abayji| former deputy

The dialogue that took place between them included the following:

Dr. Abd Ali Sofieh:

Globalization and democracy are dualistic; one needs the other. The problem that occurred is that globalization is moving at a tremendous speed, and it is transnational and continental, while democracy is local. Sofieh found that globalization causes many problems for democracy and increases its poverty, so the latter is trying to reduce the speed of globalization, to give weight and heaviness to the local value, that is, to identity and authenticity.

It is natural that right-wing extremist parties and tendencies are taking place in the Western world, not as an expression of racism as it is an expression of anger and dissatisfaction with the economic conditions there. Now in France, for the first time, retirees are taking to the streets with this momentum, as society demands justice and a decent life. They find the rich getting richer, while the middle class makes more sacrifices. It is just popular outrage.

As for the phenomena of unjustified violence and thefts, everyone expects it - claimants and public officials alike - in every major demonstration or uprising. But it did not affect the spirit of the just demands of the people.

Dr. Mustafa Al-Naji:

I believe that democracy will be gradually rolled back in favor of a stricter and more restrictive system.

Mr. Sardar Abdullah:

Populism has become a major threat to democracy. Anthony Giddens, in one of his valuable books, calls for the “democratization” of democracy.

Dr. Mustafa Al-Naji:

It certainly does not mean that, although it leads to this situation. Naji adds: I borrow what Plato said 2,500 years ago: (Democracy is the rule of the mob and the ignorant because it brings them to power). This is Plato's opinion... Its reflection after two thousand years, especially in our third world, bears credibility to a large extent.

Dr. Ali Al-Baghdadi:

Explained: Democracy, even in the “advanced” worlds, has its advantages.. But it has a major and dangerous flaw. It is the arrival of those who are not qualified to rule.

Deputy Shorouq Al-Abayji:

In her intervention, says: Not if democracy provides public awareness and the right culture, especially since real democratic societies have completed their correct institutional structure in a way that does not allow any "unqualified" person to manipulate the political system and its pillars based on values and concepts that have been established through social revolutions. That strengthens from time to time, the democratic institutions, to be in line with socio-economic changes… "Trump" and "Macron" will only change the form of external performance, and may activate - consciously or not- some areas that have not been activated... In the sense that societal forces, with different interests, may need, from time to time, to redistribute some of their positions within The political system, without daring to go beyond the frameworks established through the accumulation of long-standing institutional work, is always above all others.

Dr. Abd Ali Sofeih:

Sofieh adds that globalization puts money at the center of its work. As for democracy, it puts man at the center of its thought. It is a struggle between money and man, but one cannot dispense with the other. No money dispenses with man, nor can man dispense with money, as it is a duality that needs balance. This is the thing the people are responsible for, as they are concerned with finding this point of balance.

Soufieh affirms: In this historical period, society moves politics, and it is not politics that moves society. Because the politicians did not listen to the community and looked down on it. But society does not call for chaos, but rather for an order that maintains this balance.

Mr. Adel Al-Dabbagh said:

There's an overlap in an article by Mr. Hussein Al-Adly titled (The Component Consensus and the Problematic of Governance), in which he said: (The state is a national institution which its core is the authorities, and there is no governance for the authorities except with laws and institutions that take their legitimacy from the constitution, which is a social, political contract between the state and the citizens of the state. The rule, influence, and sovereignty of authorities over all is the spirit and appearance of the state. There is no state without binding, hegemonic, ruling powers.. From here, the idea of the state is based on delegation and obligation, a popular delegation (constitutional and electoral) to exercise and rule, and legal obligation through institutions of governance, imposed by the authorities on its citizens. Obligation requires decisiveness and firmness (by ruling), and forcing the followers of the state to adhere to the obligation imposed by delegation and compulsion, and there is no decisiveness in ruling with its scattering, multiplicity, or weakness).

Mr. Adel Al-Dabbagh:

As he added in the transfer of the article of Mr. "Hussein Al-Adly", we extract from it the most important points:

• The goal of the democratic process is to regulate the practice of governance and the administration of the state, and its management through the submission of all to the equation of the ruler and the democratically governed.

• An exception to any component of the component political consensus system; is considered an elimination to it.

• The system of political consensus lacks the principle of decisiveness, as state issues go through a long, complex, and satisfying series of consensus and the decisiveness is often a formality that does not affect the essence of the state's problems.

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