 |
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS HERALD |
 |
||
|
||||
|
FREE ELECTIONS OPEN THE WAY Several years from now, we may look at the current times and equate it to the fall of communism. If we hark back to November 11, 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell, none of us really could predict that communism would crumble so swiftly. Like those unforgettable days, the events in the Middle East over the past few weeks could indicate how democracy was born. As the world knows, on January 30, the Iraqi people held their first free elections in decades. The courage that the average folk showed in heading to the polls won’t soon be forgotten, and the gigantic voter turnout showed that the Iraqis would prefer a government of their own choosing- warts and all. While the experiment in Iraq muddles along, we can say that democracy has taken root and the likelihood of a return to dictatorship appears remote at best. Another significant event is taking place in Lebanon. After 30 years, the people of that country are fed up with their Syrian occupants, and have almost peacefully willed the Syrians out of their country. The fact that Syrian strongman Bashar Assad has announced a partial withdrawal of all troops prior to the May elections, shows that the voice of the Lebanese people is getting through. Even the terrorists that run the Hezbelloh staged a rally in Beirut to show that they want to be a major player in Lebanese politics. It’s not much of a choice, but choice is coming to Lebanon. Not to far from Lebanon, Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarek has also taken a turn for democracy. Within nine weeks, a referendum will be held amending the Egyptian constitution to allow for multiple candidates for the upcoming presidential elections. While Mubarek is expected to prevail in September’s elections, this will be the first time since his ascension to power in 1981 that he will face an opposition. Linking these events with the recent elections in the Palestinian territories, one almost gets the feeling that democracy is building in the Middle East. Of course, predicting events in the Middle East is a fool’s game, but the events sure are encouraging to those that believe in freedom. Like Ronald Reagan pushing for the fall of communism, the critics might someday have to acknowledge that George W. Bush had a role in developing democracy in the Middle East.
|
|
| ||||||
