Iraq: One Year Later: Back From Exile: Is This Saddam's Successor?

Adnan Pachachi is the go-to man in Iraqi politics. As the country's Governing Council argued over the constitution earlier this month, Pachachi's phone was ringing off the hook. At one stage, Lakhdar Brahimi, special envoy to Iraq for U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, called to ask for a copy of the charter. "I will talk to Kofi," Pachachi assured him. "I will send Kofi a copy of the document."

The signing of the constitution last week gave Iraq a dramatic push toward a democratic future. While the haggling revealed splits in the council that could still haunt Iraqi politics, the signing...