The current sweeping wind of change that has toppled two ‘established' Arab regimes in less than a month, and it's about to topple a third, won't calm down before it achieves its aims. Even those countries which hold elections and have a degree of freedom such as Iraq, Morocco and Algeria, are now exposed to this political earthquake if they do not introduce fundamental reforms as a matter of urgency. The youth want to move on and catch up with the rest of the developed world, where there are rights and freedoms, and they won't accept any thing less than this qualitative leap. If current regimes are able to effect this leap, and this is not difficult at all, they will stay. If not, they will be swept away. More than one Arab leader talked to about the protests movement that is flaring up in the Arab world right now, justifying their staying in power and how their regimes are so different from the falling ones. Col. Gaddafi, who ruled Libya without popular mandate for almost 42 years, gave a convulsive speech that exposed the nature of his suppressive regime which he tried in vein to hide for four decades. His speech focused on frightening Libyans from the dangers surrounding them in case he falls. It appeared that there were so many of these dangers! From hostile neighbouring countries looking for an opportunity to attack Libya, to the prospects of fragmentation of the country, to the probable civil war and tribal disputes, to the loss of oil, electricity and water! He accused thousands of protesters of being criminals and drug addicts and being youth who do not know what they are doing but imitating what happened in Tunisia and Egypt. He threatened to use arms which he said ‘he has not yet used' to kill, suppress and defeat the protesters. He claimed that the US and other countries won't allow the establishment of an ‘Islamic Emirate' in Libya, meaning that they won't allow any change to his regime, even though the protest movement has never called for a religious state and there is no country in the world that wants Gaddafi to stay on. The Colonel's speech was in fact an official announcement of the death of his regime and an enticement for all Libyans to pounce down on his regime and topple it. ‘The people want to topple the Colonel' as the Libyans chanted in their protests. Iraqi Prime Minister, Noori Al Maliki, said he came to power through elections and he will leave in the same way. He said the problem in Iraq is not the political system but the deterioration of services which he said will be restored ‘in 15 months time'! As a proof of the freedom under his rule, he said ‘there are currently two former prime ministers living in Iraq with no problems'! He forgets that there were two former presidents, Ahmed Hassan Al Bakir and Abdurrahman Arif, also lived under Saddam Hussein until they died. Does this mean that there was freedom in the Saddam era? He has also forgotten that his authority is not full since there are at least 50,000 US troops with their complete weapons still based in Iraq. Maliki confirmed that the right to demonstrate was guaranteed constitutionally, but he warned against ‘infiltrators and Baathists who seek to create chaos'! The problem with Maliki is that in every problem he faces, he blames ‘Baathists, infiltrators, corruptors, and terrorists' forgetting that it's his duty to stamp out corruption, catch terrorists and corruptors and hand them over to the judiciary. Iraqis no longer believe that Maliki actually believes in democracy, especially with his clinging to power even though he was not the winner in the elections and manipulating the Federal Court to his advantage and making it issue a verdict after another to keep him in office and enhance his powers. After its decision, which is in violation of the law and electoral precedents, to allow Malki to trespass the first winner in the March 7th 2010 elections and let the second winner form the government, the court issued another decision to tie the ‘independent institutions', such as the Central bank, Integrity Commission, and Electoral Commission, to the Prime Minister's office, and let them be accountable to him. This will enhance the PM's powers at the expense of the constitution, democracy, the independence of the judiciary and the efficient management of the economy. Everyone knows what could happen when the management of the elections becomes under the supervision of a certain politician. The era of the ruler winning via a margin of 99% is too recent to forget. Everyone knows what might happen when the Integrity Commission becomes a satellite to the Prime Minister. We can never forget what happened to the last chairman of the Integrity Commission, Judge Radhi Ar-Radhi, who fled Iraq fearing for his life after the government cracked down on him. His successor, Musa Faraj, was also forced to resign because he was not ‘in tune' with the government. The Federal Court, under the presidency of Judge Midhat Al Mahmoud, has become, in the eyes of many Iraqis, a tool in the hands of PM Maliki who uses it when and where he wishes. This has made Iraqis totally convinced that democracy has no longer a real existence in Iraq and the judiciary is now manipulated in the interest of the ruling party. Many Iraqis feel now that their country is heading towards a dictatorship and religious state due to the continuous violations of the constitution, restrictions imposed on public freedoms, exploitation of the judiciary for the interest of the government, turning a blind eye to corruption and the flawed management of state institutions which is creating one crisis after another. No other option is left for the people but to demonstrate to demand their rights, freedoms, services and an end to corruption. Yemen's president, Ali Abdulla Salih, who is also facing stiff, has called upon his opponents to resort to the ballot box. This is the most important weapon that Salih's regime is armed with and it no doubt constitutes a convenient exit for him before the situation in his country deteriorates further, but only if free and fair elections were held. In Bahrain, too, there were huge demonstrations calling for reforms but the problem there is deeper than it could be solved by protests due to the nature of the protesters, and what the change of regime there represents to the future of the region as a whole. Bahrain's wise men are required to intervene in order to calm the situation and meet with protesters half way. The prospects of the establishment of a religious and sectarian state in Bahrain are equally frightening for both western and Arab countries and this will make the prospects of democratic change impossible under current circumstances. In Algeria and Morocco there are also similar protests and similar reactions. There is no doubt that Maliki is no Gaddafi, nor is King Muhammad 6th of Morocco the same as President Butafliqa of Algeria, nor is King Hamad Bin Essa of Bahrain the same as President Ali Abdulla Salih of Yemen. Every country has its own problems, but people's demands are almost the same: Justice, freedoms and reforms. Peoples won't believe any new promises if the old ones have not been realised. The only solution that will bring back stability to the Arab region is fundamental and urgent reforms.
