The government of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi has completed its first year, during which the country witnessed many political, security and economic turns, as well as the health crisis represented by the Corona pandemic.

The Al-Kazemi government won the confidence of the Iraqi parliament on May 5, 2020, more than 5 months after the resignation of his predecessor, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, following the large popular demonstrations that erupted on October 1, 2019, during which thousands were killed and injured.

Al-Aboudi believes that the Al-Kazemi government had 3 files in front of it: Preparing for the elections and the economic and health files (Al-Jazeera)

The political file

There are many political files that Al-Kazemi faced during the 12 months of his government’s life, according to what Naeem Al-Aboudi, a deputy from the Al-Fateh Alliance and a spokesman for the "Sadikoun" parliamentary bloc (Asaib Ahl al-Haq), said, considering that the current government came to solve an emergency crisis in the country, and it had 3 Files represented in: Preparing for early elections, and the economic and health files.

In his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Aboudi continues that the elections are the most important files, while the others described them as "thorny" that contain many complex accumulations, indicating that the government must impose the law and create a safe environment for the upcoming elections.

For his part, the expert in political and security affairs, Sarmad Al-Bayati, believes that Al-Kazemi assumed his duties after severe difficulties that continued for months after Abdul-Mahdi's resignation, indicating that it is not reasonable or wise for Al-Kazemi to endure a 17-year march of what he described as "failures", especially since Al-Kazemi pledged in His government program is to lead the country to early elections, which is what the country is actually moving towards, despite some obstacles.

As for Muhannabi al-Janabi, a professor of political science and international relations at Cihan University, he believes that the Al-Kazemi government has not succeeded in enhancing the confidence of Iraqis in the state and human rights, pointing out that the speech of the traditional political forces was a condition for the government to play a single role in holding elections.

Al-Janabi comments to Al-Jazeera Net that the Al-Kazemi government has caved in to the dictates of the political blocs, despite it being a constitutional government with full powers, and it could have done a lot in the midst of the financial, security and political capabilities available to it, as he put it.

On the foreign policy front, Al-Janabi talks about that the Al-Kazemi government has succeeded remarkably in the file of foreign relations and hosting many dialogues between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the capital, Baghdad, in addition to the development of Iraq's relations with many Arab and Gulf countries in an uncharacteristic way since 2003.

This proposal is consistent with Al-Bayati's opinion, who believes - in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net - that Iraq has witnessed during the past months the manufacture of a sober foreign policy, commensurate with national interests and addressing the crises and challenges that the country is experiencing, especially with regard to Iraq's agreements with the Gulf countries, Egypt, Jordan and international relations.

In an analytical article published by the US Institute of Peace on the occasion of the anniversary of the Al-Kazemi government, in which the two writers Sarhnak Hama Saeed and Eli Abu Oun indicated that Al-Kazemi promised to meet many of the protesters' demands, but he did not achieve many tangible results despite his commendable efforts, according to The institute.

However, the authors of the article explicitly indicated that, given the nature of popular demands, it is unrealistic to expect any government to meet it within a year or two, especially since the accumulations that the Iraqi government faces are countless.

Al-Bayati believes that Al-Kazemi succeeded in limiting the influence of the Islamic State, but he did not succeed in curbing the fugitive weapon (Al-Jazeera)

Security file

Dozens of attacks have taken place in Iraq since Al-Kazemi took office in 2020, targeting columns of logistical support and military bases hosting the international coalition forces, in addition to the repeated security breaches of ISIS and the armed factions challenging the state's authority.

In this regard, Al-Bayati - who is close to the decision-making circles - says that the security file is divided into two parts, as Al-Kazemi succeeded in limiting the influence of the Islamic State and the Iraqi forces were able to eliminate many of the leaders despite some breaches and security vulnerabilities that the country is currently witnessing, which are not It necessarily means that the organization has returned to its previous strength, as its methods of attacks are summarized as implementation and withdrawal without confrontation.

With regard to the other security issue related to the armed factions, Al-Bayati believes that the Al-Kazemi government has not succeeded in curbing the fugitive weapons or the factions and parties that fire Katyusha rockets at Iraqi military bases, justifying that for Al-Kazemi as the latter does not want to drag the country into an internal war and a sea of ​​blood, As he put it.

It is believed that Al-Kazemi dealt with the security file in a way he described as "rational pragmatism" that identifies with reality, indicating that the negligence taken on the Al-Kazemi government also does not reveal the killers of the demonstrators.

In this regard, and referring to MP Naim Al-Aboudi to talk about Al-Kazemi's promises to uncover the killers of the demonstrators, Al-Aboudi stated in a short diplomatic answer that "the Iraqi government is responsible for this file, and that the parliament's work is only oversight."

As for Al-Janabi, for his part, he believes that dealing with armed factions and confining weapons to the hands of the state may not be feasible in the foreseeable future and for two future governments, attributing this to the severity of the complexities of this file and its regional and international interference.

Regarding the attempts to drag the government into a confrontation with the factions, Al-Janabi comments that the deep breathing adopted by the government conveyed an implicit message to the factions, according to which the state chooses the timing of the confrontation, indicating that the remarkable development in the government's security policy is the launching of the accusation of terrorism against the launchers of Katyusha rockets. She called them outlaws.

As for the American Institute of Peace, according to the article published on its website, "Al-Kazemi or his successor will not be able to rein in Iran in Iraq, unless the international community - including the United States - exerts strong pressure so that Tehran agrees to reconsider the nature and size." Its regional activities. "

Aref considered that the Al-Kazemi government continued to pay employees' salaries, but failed to maximize non-oil revenues (Al-Jazeera)

Economic file

Many economic fluctuations in Iraq, as the Al-Kazemi government began its era with the deterioration of oil prices, with great difficulties in paying the salaries of employees, adding these crises to the problem of Iraq not having a general budget last year.

In this regard, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, the economic advisor to the Iraqi prime minister, says that the Al-Kazemi government has assumed its duties in the most complex political, economic and even health stages of Iraq, indicating that due to the global closure and the OPEC Plus agreement, which includes 23 oil-exporting countries, of which 13 are members of the Organization of Exporting Countries. For oil (OPEC), oil prices fell, and Iraqi exports declined.

Consequently, Iraq was facing a financial crisis represented in the volume of public expenditures amounting to 6 billion dollars, at a time when the volume of revenues did not exceed 2.5 billion, but the Al-Kazemi government was able to remedy the situation and continued to pay the salaries of Iraqi employees who numbered nearly 4 million employees, in addition to To 3 million retirees, according to Saleh.

He continues in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net that the budget that the government and parliament succeeded in passing this year is the best in years, especially as it comes with the accumulation of financial problems in the country, as well as reducing the size of the financial deficit to nearly 20 billion dollars.

As for the failures, Saleh believes that the Al-Kazemi government has not completely succeeded in maximizing non-oil revenues, especially with regard to customs and taxes, attributing that to the political problems, the short life of the current government, and the major interference in its work.

As for Al-Aboudi, for his part, he believes that the Al-Kazemi government has not taken any step in the right direction with regard to real economic reforms, indicating that the increase in the exchange rate of the dollar against the Iraqi dinar at the end of last year has caused serious harm to the Iraqi citizen, after the great rise in the prices of food and consumer goods.

Al-Abed: The Al-Kazemi period was politically distinguished by the fact that his government did not provoke any sectarian hatred (Al-Jazeera)

For his part, political researcher Ghanem al-Abed believes - in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net - that the Al-Kazemi period was politically distinguished by the fact that his government did not provoke any sectarian hatred, considering him from outside what he described as political Islam.

Economically, he believes that one of his most important achievements: the formation of a supreme committee to combat corruption, as this committee was able to overthrow many heads of corruption in a way that no previous prime minister had dared to do, and the white paper presented by the government was positive in meaning, but of course It needs solid political will and years of continuous work, according to Al-Abed.