THE IRAQI Parliament passed three contentious laws simultaneously Wednesday - on the national budget, amnesty for many of the 26,000 prisoners in Iraqi jails, and regional autonomy - and there are good reasons to reserve enthusiasm. The very belatedness of the laws' approval testifies to the mistrust Kurds, Sunni Arabs, and Shi'ites still have for one another and to the persistence of identity politics among these factions.
Nevertheless, Iraq's politicians have taken a promising step forward. Their forging of back-room deals suggests they are learning the lessons of compromise and horse-trading that define democratic politics.
The most obvious compromise was their agreement to bundle the three laws in a single package. This had to be done because each of the three major interest groups needed to have one of the three bills passed and each, distrusting lawmakers from the other two groups, did not want its bill to be voted on last.
In this way, Shi'ite parties seeking to consolidate their political power and control over oil in southern Iraq won guarantees of regional autonomy. The Kurds were able to secure a budget that granted their region 17 percent of the federal funds distributed to Iraq's provinces. Since the Sunni Arab and the Shi'ite parties still argue that less than 17 percent of Iraq's population lives in the three provinces administered by the Kurdish Regional Government, the disputants agreed to put off until the 2009 budget a definitive judgment on that region's proper share.
For the Sunni Arab parties, meanwhile, the amnesty law was the linchpin to the package. Most of the beneficiaries of this law will be from their constituency. Once the law is approved by a three-member presidential council - a foregone conclusion - detainees now in American custody can be transferred to Iraqi jails and become eligible for amnesty. The release of thousands of Sunni Arabs is expected to demonstrate that Sunni Arab politicians are able to deliver what their constituents want.
These imperfect compromises are necessary but insufficient steps toward the creation of a stable, pluralist political system in Iraq. The next steps must include bringing into government the large Sunni tribes that have formed so-called Awakening Councils to fight Al Qaeda. This will entail new elections soon in predominantly Sunni provinces such as Anbar. And there must also be rapid and widespread job creation to absorb young men in sectarian militias. They will put down their guns only if they can have secure jobs at decent wages.
Iraq's politicians are beginning to play by democratic rules, to practice the art of the possible. They have a long way to go to create a stable political order, but even the longest journey must begin with a single step.
