by Sam Dagher
BAGHDAD, Aug 18 (AFP) - A stern black-turbaned sheikh tells a delegate at a national conference, billed by its sponsors as Iraq's first post-Saddam Hussein encounter with democracy, to stop arguing and go pray instead.
The event, bringing together some 1,300 delegates from across the country, seems to sum up the dilemma of Iraq.
Those clinging to tradition or the ways of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime spar with those eager to grasp at democracy whose rules are crafted largely by outsiders.
"I think we should vote on a motion to involve the United Nations in our efforts to solve the crisis of Sayed Moqtada (Sadr) and the Mehdi Army," says Salam al-Khafaji, one of three women guaranteed a seat on Iraq's 100-member national council.
The black shrouded Khafaji stands among hundreds of delegates as she faces Sheikh Ruda al-Ghuraifi, who is moderating a panel on human rights.
"My sister, you should just pray for the delegation that has gone to meet with Sayed Moqtada, we are more than capable of solving our own problems ourselves," replies the Baghdad-based cleric.
Shiite militia leader Sadr, another black-turbaned cleric, boycotted the conference, branding it an invention of the US-led occupation, despite repeated overtures by organisers and the caretaker government for him to participate.
Instead, he has barricaded himself in the central holy city of Najaf with his militia, vowing to die a martyr as US troops and Iraqi forces close in after nearly two weeks of bitter fighting.
A delegation from the conference led by Hussein Sadr, another cleric, flew to Najaf but failed to deliver to Sadr in person a plea to lay down his arms, transform his militia into a political party and join the ambitious democracy experiment in Baghdad.
The message echoed a warning by the interim government of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi that there is no room for armed opposition in "the new Iraq."
The Najaf crisis threatened to scuttle the national conference on its opening day Sunday, when hundreds of delegates threatened to walk out unless the government lifted the siege and resumed dialogue with Sadr.
Iraq's democratic experiment was also lambasted by hundreds of independents who accused the big political parties already dominating Allawi's government and led by former dissidents during Saddam's regime of manipulating the process.
The big party bosses were also accused of hauling in delegates from the provinces to rubberstamp a list of nominees that was largely drawn up already.
"They are saying we need a parliament working in harmony with the government. How can that be democratic," said Ismail Zayer, editor of the leading Baghdad daily Al-Sabah al-Jadid, one of about 450 independents demanding that the voting mechanism be altered.
They were faced late Tuesday by the head of the conference's preparatory committee Fuad Maasum.
"After examining several options, we the preparatory committee have decided that voting on a list that would be drawn up according to preset criteria was the best way to preserve balance and national accord," said the bespectacled Maasum, peering down from a stage at the delegates.
The criteria say that 25 percent of overall seats must go to women and that 81 seats be divided as follows: 21 party members, 21 provincial leaders, 11 minorities, 10 tribal figures, 10 civil society groups and eight independents.
Delegates started to shout and complain that this was undemocratic.
"Okay fine, I will hear two supporting arguments from this side of the room and two opposing arguments from that side and that's it," said Maasum.
The white-turbaned Adel Abdul-Rahim of the Islamic Dawa party slammed the voting procedure as "an edict".
The secular Aziz al-Yasseri, a former officer in Saddam's army who now heads a coalition of independents, said voting along ethnic divides was easier, with Arabs being the majority followed by Kurds.
"Okay let's vote, those for the committee's way raise your hands," says Maasum.
Many delegates raise their hands and then break into applause. Masum declares his method has won the day and sets the election for Wednesday.
Independents said they will draw up their own list but admit they have little chance of winning enough support.