With the proliferation of weapons and political money .. Will the youth of Iraq create an alternative to the ruling parties?

Salah Hassan Baban - Al-Jazeera Net

After the October 2019 protests, the ideas of young activists in Iraq evolved to become more comprehensive with regard to political work, and shifted from demanding a change in the ruling system and holding the heads of corruption accountable to seeking to participate in the parliamentary elections to be held next June, amid an exciting question about the ability of youth On the face of money and fugitive weapons in the country for 17 years.

Youth preparations for the upcoming elections are seen in a more positive view than the previous ones, after the announcement of the formation of new entities headed by activists, journalists and human rights workers, the most prominent of which is "Iraq is our tent."

Al-Haddad: The new formations represent the nucleus of the revolution, but they cannot confront political money and fugitive weapons (Al-Jazeera Net)

The most

The new youth formations represent the nucleus of the October protests and include groups from the general population of Iraqi society, most notably university students, graduates, holders of degrees and scientific competencies, many of whom are unemployed.

Despite the enthusiasm of the new formations, they are unable to confront the uncontrolled weapons, political money, and the huge media machines owned by the parties, in light of the weakness of the state and its inability to protect the demonstrators and youth who seek to enter the political process, according to the political activist in southern Iraq, Imad Al-Haddad.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Haddad explained that the modern formations have a clear and bold stance towards the government to neutralize the fugitive and dry up the financial assets of the corrupt parties in order to have "honest competition" with achieving social justice.

He stressed that the final word will be for the ballot boxes with the ability of young people to mobilize boycotters for the previous elections, who estimate - according to mourning - 70% of those entitled to vote, pointing to the failure of the political elites to bring about a radical change in the bitter reality in the country.

Al-Haddad considered that Iraqi society is looking for a ray of hope to create real change by using moral, humanitarian and societal tools, based on the objectives of the October protests to achieve social justice, expel the corrupt and hold the killers of the demonstrators accountable.

He believes that the control of the current ruling parties along with the dominance of weapons and political money has led to popular reluctance to the previous elections, adding that society’s view has now changed in a high rate after the protests, and there have been efforts to make a comprehensive change from within the protest squares, thus changing the reality of Iraq.

Al-Haddad suggested that the new youth formations would achieve a change in parliament by between 25% and 30%, with clear programs that believe in keeping the heads of corruption away from the sources of Iraqi decision-making, and bringing competent independent figures who contribute to moving the economy wheel and improving political conditions, and their main duty is to correct the course of years. The last 17 after the failure of the dominant parties.

In response to a question by Al-Jazeera Net about the possibility of external or internal support for youth formations, Al-Haddad confirms that this is impossible and excluded, indicating that the activists are determined to support their formations and electoral programs themselves through social media platforms, in addition to the readiness of some capital owners And the personalities who believe in real change in Iraq to support these formations, as well as collect donations.

And these formations - according to Al-Haddad - have the ability to prepare a national alternative without any support or external interference or submission to internal pressures, noting that the multi-department will be a major support for a societal change without the need for much money.

Al-Alousi The revolutionary youth cannot prevail over the hotbeds of corruption, quotas, and terrorism spreading in Iraq (Al-Jazeera Net)

The political shops, for

his part, the Iraqi politician Mithal Al-Alusi ruled out that the youth in the upcoming elections could achieve the desired change and victory over the centers of corruption, quotas and terrorism that share Iraq and defend another party.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Alousi compared the current reality with the reality of Iraqis and their inability, despite the many attempts during many years, to get rid of the regime of the late President Saddam Hussein and remove him from power, indicating that the road is long and may extend for decades for young people to achieve reform in Parliament and the state.

Al-Alousi considered that these years can be shortened if Iraq obtains support from the world's free people and the international system, to get rid of regional hegemony, rampant corruption and regional terrorism.

Many Iraqi political shops represent - as Al-Alousi says - regional wills targeting Iraqi wealth, at a time when Iraq has become a major center for terrorism, whether Sunni or Shiite, or even organized and unorganized, describing the path is very long and the elections cannot resolve the position of reform.

Al-Nassiri: There is a tendency among young people to enter the political arena with new and different visions and programs (Al-Jazeera Net)

Impossibility of solutions

, for his part, the researcher on political affairs, Oqba al-Nasiri, considered that after the protests that took place in Iraq over the past year, the impossibility of finding solutions to problems at the security, health and economic levels, in light of the continued control of the current ruling parties.

According to Al-Nasiri, there has become a trend for young people to enter the political arena with new and different visions and programs, whether as an independent entity or as individuals within other blocs that are consistent with the aspirations of the youth segment, but the independent entry of young people faces many obstacles, especially with regard to support, uncontrolled weapons and political money.

Young people are waiting for the government of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi and what will come out with it regarding the status of the High Electoral Commission, and will it consist of judges or will it have another form?

In addition to what is related to the electoral districts that have not yet been resolved with the biometric card (depends on the fingerprint of a person to vote in the elections to prevent fraud), and will it be used exclusively or will it use the other voter cards?

Most of all, it is related to political money and party influence.

The governorates of central and southern Iraq suffer from the power of uncontrolled weapons, which have a stronger impact than political money that prevents the creation of a sound environment for the elections - according to Nasiri - stressing that in the event that the Al-Kazemi government is unable to issue important decisions that resolve this debate in the election law in a way that is consistent with the aspirations of the public and prevents The tampering of the corrupt, the reluctance of the masses, especially the youth, to participate in the elections, as happened in 2018 and 2014.