United States military commanders have ordered a halt to local elections and self-rule in provincial cities and towns across Iraq, instead installing their own hand-picked mayors and administrators, many of them former Iraqi military leaders.
The decision to deny Iraqis a direct role in selecting municipal governments is creating anger and resentment among aspiring leaders and ordinary citizens, who say the US-led occupation forces are not keeping their promise to bring greater freedom and democracy to a country dominated for by Saddam Hussein for 30 years.
"They give us a general," said Bahith Sattar, a biology teacher and tribal leader in Samarra, north of Baghdad, who was a candidate for mayor until that election was cancelled last week. "What does that tell you, eh? First of all, an Iraqi general? They lost the last three wars. They're not even good generals. And they know nothing about running a city."
Mr Bremer has promised that as soon as an Iraqi constitution is written and a national census taken, local and national elections will follow. But that process could take months.
In Samarra the selection of a new mayor and city council by delegates was put off twice, then cancelled. "There will be no elections for the foreseeable future," said Jeff Butler of the US Army's 418th Civil Affairs Battalion, charged with running Samarra.
Sergeant Butler said he sympathised with Iraqis upset about elections being cancelled. "We would like to see some kind of democratic system, too," he said. But for now, the Iraqis needed to be satisfied with "baby steps".
Remember when Rummy compared the "chaos and confusion" in Iraq to the United States after the Revolutionary War? This policy is like making General Cornwallis Mayor of New York because we couldn't find anyone better. Frightening thought: there is no one better. qWagmire...