Sunni Set-Asides?

The Bush administration may still be shy about admitting it, but it has finally come to the realization that, perhaps, the only way to momentarily resolve its Sunni problem in the Iraqi election is to set aside a certain number of seats for Sunnis, even if they receive fewer votes than rival non-Sunni candidates. The idea is to provide Sunnis with a presence in the post-elections parliament, despite a probable boycott by many leading groups, so the community is not marginalized in a new Iraq, and so the new political system has broad legitimacy.

The idea of institutional set-asides for a religious group remains controversial in Washington, but as I argued in a recent Reason piece, it can be a fairly enlightened formula for a communally divided society, such as Lebanon for instance. It's never ideal, yes, but the ensuing tendency to compromise can also generate more democratic political behavior than where the state is strong and might be tempted to suffocate its diverse constituencies through the power of its institutions (especially the army).