Nobel Prize Winner Assails US Form of Democracy in Iraq

US' Iraq 'democracy' doesn't stand a chance: Amartya Sen

New Delhi: Despite its best efforts, US efforts to foist its brand of democracy in Iraq will not succeed as this is based on dividing society rather that ensuring its participation in governance, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said Thursday.

"The Iraqi people are being treated as Shias, Sunnis and Kurds. This is not the way to build a democracy," he said while delivering a stinging rebuke to the US during a lecture on "Democracy and its critics" here.

Then, "the occupation forces chose to focus on balloting alone. Democracy is not just about voting but about public discussion, but no thought has been given to this," Sen declared to a packed auditorium that had many people sitting along the aisles.