The Iraqi government's moves for reconciliation with members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party raise questions about a reincarnation of the once-omnipotent party, an idea rejected by those persecuted under his rule. “Every political power must believe in national principles, the unity of the country, the peaceful transition of power, democracy, and so forth,” said Saad Al-Muttalibi, an adviser to the Iraqi government's High Committee for Reconciliation. “If (Baathists) believe in these principles and announce them publicly, I do not think there will be barrier to them taking part in politics and power in Iraq.” Saddam, a Sunni Arab, headed Iraq's branch of the Baath party, which was founded in Syria in the 1940s as a socialist, secularist force toiling for pan-Arab unity. But as the country emerges from years of sectarian slaughter following Saddam's overthrow in 2003, the Shi'ite-led government says it is trying to make peace with its foes, including those members of the Baath party who committed no crimes. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shi'ite, last week called for forgiveness for those “who committed mistakes, who were obliged in that difficult era to side with the past regime.” The reconciliation committee has held talks with officials, living outside Iraq, from what it calls the Baath party's “left wing”, which Muttalibi said split from Saddam's branch long ago. Such distinctions underscore the delicacy of any hint of reviving a post-Saddam Iraqi Baath party. Under Saddam's rule almost all officials, bureaucrats and many professionals were obliged to join the Baath party. Yet the United States sacked tens of thousands of members after the invasion, a move that fuelled years of insurgency and led to a shortage of Iraqis qualified to run the country. Iraq has since the passed legislation to help reverse the purge, but critics complain Maliki's government is dragging its feet on implementing such steps. Baath is back? Iraq's constitution bans “Saddam's” Baath party, an opening that might permit the forming of another Baath party. Syria has been ruled by a different branch of the Baath party for decades. The party remains banned in any form in Iraq, and lifting that prohibition would require an act of parliament. This month, Iraqi forces arrested men accused as neo-Baathists. “The Baath party devastated the country and corrupted it. It is an enemy to Iraqis, religion and Arabs. No one should ... allow it to be revived,” one of Iraq's top Shi'ite leaders, Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, said in a statement. A statement attributed to Izzat Al-Douri, the most senior member of the former regime still at large, last week rejected reconciliation, labelling those in talks “agents and spies”. Despite widespread rejection of any revival of a Saddam-style Baath party, there are signs some parts of society are open to former Baathists and secularist parties in general. “Baathists ruled this country for 35 years, and the state functionaries were all Baathists. A nation cannot be built without their inclusion,” said Saleh Al-Mutlaq, leader of the Iraqi National Dialogue Front party and a former Baathist. After the 2003 invasion ushered in years of poor governance by religious groups, overtly religious parties were trounced and secularists and nationalists did well in January's local polls, including well-known former Baathists Mutlaq and Iyad Allawi. “Practicing politics under the Baath party umbrella is constitutionally prohibited. But Baathists can work in politics. In fact, they are a part of the political process. Half of the current parliament were Baathists,” said one senior government official who declined to be named.
