In the Shiite holy city of Karbala, there is no shortage of good will, and ambition, to fill the political vacuum left by the US ouster of the Baathist regime.

At the teachers association, on premises lacking electricity and with shattered windows, some 200 residents met on Friday -- and each had something to say about the future of the city or of the country in general.

A number of themes recurred: no to the US presence, yes to a federal arrangement and to the Iraqis' freedom to choose their government.

But beyond this, there was little in terms of concrete decisions or proposals. The meeting soon turned into a noisy debate, the question of who is administering Karbala itself awaiting a clear answer.

"We want to say loud and clear that the Iraqis must remain united and shun any divisions along tribal or confessional lines," declared Hasan as-Saadi, an accountant.

Tribal chieftain Mohammad Ali as-Saadi, who came wearing a suit and tie, called for a democratic society, and rejected "the shameful Anglo-American occupation." For his part, retired teacher Faisal ash-Shami, who spent 10 years behind bars under the deposed regime, advocated "peace and freedom."

At their first public meeting since US forces seized Karbala, 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Baghdad, on April 6, participants set up a "committee for the defense of the country and human rights in the holy city of Karbala."

"This war, waged under the banner of freedom, was not launched to achieve this, but with the objective of occupying and dividing our country," they charged in a statement.

A number of them claimed affiliation to a variety of groups, including some dating back to the 1960s -- Iraqi National Action, Democratic Action and the Islamic Action Organization, to name but three.

Suddenly, one participant demanded "a significant role for the Shiites." The place fell silent, except for the clatter of worry beads.

The Shiites "have been rejected. They did not enjoy real religious freedom," said Jawad al-Attar.

"We are in the same boat. And we must work together to reach safe shores."

One Shiite dignitary sitting on the side had come "only to listen" in this holy city where clerics wield the most influence. Another sheikh, who declined to give his name, spoke of "an honest gathering of intellectuals from the city who want to take part in the rehabilitation of their country."

"The world must be told that we are educated, we have ideas, and we are capable of doing the job ourselves," he said.

In the meantime, however, the issue of who should be administering the town remains unresolved.

Some senior Shiite figures, such as Sheikh Kaazem al-Abahadi al-Nasari, are critical of any attempt to put in place a local administration involving contacts with the Americans or even former Iraqi exiles, like the council whose formation was announced by a former exile from the US-backed Iraqi National Congress (INC).

In a building belonging to the old municipality, Akrama Zubaidi, a former teacher at an Islamic school, argued that the real and sole municipal council was his own.

Its 15 members were elected by "real Iraqis" who reject any contacts with the Americans and would work for "genuine elections" when the security situation permits.

SPACE.WIRE