Thinking Ahead

CNN reports that an Iraqi Parliamentarian has been assassinated at her house, hours before the government announced Parliament would be voting on the proposed cabinet.

Obviously, this is very sad news. However, I was shocked to read this:

No clear procedure exists to fill a vacancy in the 275-member transitional assembly.

I mean, really now. I know we wanted to be optimistic and all that, but isn't this a problem we could have anticipated in advance? Having a codified form of succession is a must in a democratic state, and it is simply incompetent not to have provided for one.