For 35 years the Baath party that was associated with Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi president, ruled Iraq with an iron fist.

Today, that party no longer exists and former members were barred from running for office after the 2003 war. 

But last year a law was passed which relaxed some of the restrictions on former Baathists and allowed them to apply for reinstatements to the civil service and military.

The US administration praised the law and called it a good step toward national reconciliation, but some Iraqis fear that the law has opened the door for former Baathists to return to positions of influence.

So, with parliamentary elections coming up, should Iraq's democratic process be opened up to the former supporters of Saddam Hussein?

To discuss this Jasim Azawi is joined by Saad al-Mattalibi from the ministry of national dialogue and Abdelbarri Atwan, the editor in chief of al-Quds al-Arabi.   

This episode of Inside Iraq aired from Friday, November 27, 2009.