Jamal Kamel Hassan al-Majid has a name that every Iraqi can recognise. He is Saddam Hussein’s cousin and is linked to him both by marriage and spilled blood.

His brothers married the former president’s daughters but were slaughtered by Saddam’s sons eight years ago — along with nine other members of the Kamel family — after revealing the regime’s military secrets.

This makes Kamel a figure to be reckoned with: a prominent Sunni Muslim who benefited from the privileges handed out by the dictatorship but also suffered appallingly because of his links to power.

For the past two years, since the long Sunni hegemony over Iraq’s Shi’ite majority ended, he has sympathised with the armed resistance to the American occupation.

“The Sunnis are dispersed and split, but one must never forget that the resistance is mainly Sunni and they are being very effective,” he said, stressing that there are two insurgent forces. “There are terrorists but there are also the forces of the pure Iraqi resistance, who are rightfully fighting the occupation.”

Today — as Iraq holds elections that are likely to hand power to the Shi’ites, and Sunni insurgents threaten to kill anyone who votes — Kamel had a choice: to bow to the bombers or to support the attempt at democracy.

As the streets of the capital lay almost deserted yesterday, and eight people were killed in attacks on polling stations, many Sunnis were expected to boycott the election out of fear. Kamel, however, had registered at the last minute as a candidate.

He said he supported the elections “as long as they are fair and if people from all sects and religions win, be they Sunni or Shi’ite, Christians or Turks; it really does not matter so long as their past is clean. This is the only way this country will enjoy peace and security”.

He insisted that other prominent Sunnis agreed with him and that relatives and members of Saddam’s tribe had urged him to stand as a candidate.

“The situation has changed. Saddam’s tribe are aware of and are capable of living with this new reality and are hopeful, so long as good, honest people come to government.” They were unconcerned who became Iraq’s new leader, “Sunni, Shi’ite, Kurd or Christian — so long as he is an honest Iraqi, a just man who champions democracy and justice and an end to disparities between communities”.

Although he is a candidate, paradoxically he cannot cast a vote because he has no valid ration card, which acts as identification for voters.

If he fails to be elected this time, he hopes to do better in a second round expected in December by canvassing for support from within the Sunni community, including former Ba’athists, army officers and Republican Guards.

Does Kamel’s decision to embrace the election indicate that democracy really can be introduced into Iraq? Or will terror win? By the end of today, we may begin to know the answers.

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