If, as occurred after the last elections, months go by without the formation of a government, this will be confirmation that Iraq’s political elites will continue to subordinate the desperate needs of the country – for security, electricity, water, and basic services – to their political futures as they haggle over positions. Whether competent technocrats, or as has happened in the past, party hacks are appointed to the ministries will be a telling sign.
有很多方法可以去衡量这场选举的相对成功。第一种方法就是获胜者组建一个新政府所需要的时间。如果还是像上次那样几个月都看不见新政府的影子，那就只能说伊拉克的政治精英将照样把国家所急需的一切 —— 治安，供电，供水以及基础服务 —— 放在一边，而继续埋头为自己的政治前途讨价还价。而究竟被委任到政府部门的是有能力的技术官僚，还是正如过去曾经发生过的那样，只是些政党鹰犬，将是一个有说服力的信号。