Political negotiations in Iraq, the country under tension and awaiting a government

Moqtada Sadr, during a press conference in Nayaf (sur), Iraq, November 18, 2021. Ali Najafi AFP

Text by: Lucile Wassermann Follow

2 mins

Three months after the legislative elections, the Iraqi deputies must now appoint the President of the Republic, as well as the Prime Minister. 

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From our correspondent in Baghdad

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Political negotiations are underway in Iraq, while the great winner of the elections, Moqtada Sadr, would like to form a majority government, a government that would be led only by his party and his allies in Parliament. This situation would be unprecedented because since the first elections in the country in 2005, the opposing political parties have always shared ministerial posts, forming a government resulting from a national consensus, where each political party would therefore have its share of power.

What Moqtada Sadr is asking for today would therefore be a first, but the other parties do not agree with this request.

In particular the parties close to Iran, which have lost many seats in Parliament this year, but which have joined forces with other political parties to also influence the Chamber of Deputies.

Today they claim 88 seats in total out of 329, and claim to be the largest parliamentary bloc.

A standoff is therefore currently underway between these two great Shiite houses, and for the time being, neither seems ready to let go of ballast. 

►Also read: Mohammed al-Halboussi, re-elected head of the Iraqi Parliament

This showdown could potentially destabilize the country. It should nevertheless be remembered that all these political parties are supported by armed groups in the country. Moqtada Sadr, like the leaders of pro-Tehran parties, have their own armed factions and can activate them at any time to defend their political interests. In recent weeks, on social networks, pro-Iran militias have already threatened an armed response. There have also been unclaimed attacks on MPs' offices in recent days, with grenades. 

The Prime Minister, still in office, was himself the subject of a drone assassination attempt in early November.

So the situation is very alarming.

Even if the country is still far from an open conflict and negotiations are still ongoing between the two camps, these parties must come to an understanding and find a political agreement, as has always been the case in the past, to prevent Iraq from going through a new crisis. 

►Also read: Iraq: Baghdad under tension after the assassination attempt on the Prime Minister

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• Iraq

• Mustafa al-Kazimi