The street wants a government that is accountable

The Sudanese reform agenda in Iraq faces difficulties and complications

• Al-Sudani continues to advance his expanded agenda despite headwinds.

  archival

• Al-Sadr bafflingly withdrew its members from the Iraqi parliament in June 2022. Reuters

• Iraq's demonstrations could be renewed in the event of the failure of the government.

  Father

picture

When Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani talks about fighting corruption in his country, enacting long-awaited economic reforms or drafting an oil law for the Kurdistan region, one feels that the man means every word he says.

Al-Sudani, 52, was the former Minister of Human Rights and the supervisor of Maysan Governorate.

When he was ten years old, his father was killed because he belonged to the Dawa Party, which was opposed to the government at the time.

He participated in the uprising in 1991 following the Gulf War.

Although Al-Sudani has only been in office for more than six weeks, the responsibilities on his shoulders seem daunting and daunting, and he knows that Iraqis desperately want an accountable government.

The Iraqi regime is widely seen as corrupt, and betting on reform in Iraq was a good move.

For example, despite words to the contrary, many expect that the investigation into the theft of $2.5 billion from Iraq's Al-Rafidian Bank, which is considered the "theft of the century", will not be charged with a person in power, and will most likely be used as a club against those who are left without support.

Failure is possible

Perhaps the best intentions of al-Sudani and his ambitious program will end up being complicated, or even failing, as a result of what is happening now in Iran, as this neighboring country is in a state of siege.

Iran blames its enemies, especially the United States, for its unrest, which puts Iraq in the crosshairs.

Iran launched artillery shells and missiles against Iraqi Kurdistan several months ago, declaring that the region is being used as a base for the Kurds and other armed groups that support unrest in Iran, and has threatened Tehran that it could carry out ground operations.

In a meeting in Tehran, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told Al-Sudani that Iraq must control its borders and confront the "common enemies" of the two countries. Al-Sudani agreed to take additional steps to protect border security.

damage

Of course, Iraq is affected by some damage when Iran feels threatened, as well as when Iranian-American relations deteriorate, and the administration of US President Joe Biden no longer mentions the Iranian nuclear agreement, and the priority for Washington and the European Union has become to support unrest and impose more sanctions on Iran.

Priority for integration with the Arabs

This puts Baghdad in a dilemma, and the United States does not allow the transfer of funds directly to Iran, but Iraq depends on Iranian gas to generate electricity, and the price of gas is paid through arrangements made through the Trade Bank of Iraq.

Al-Sudani gives priority to Iraq's integration with the Arab countries, which include the Gulf states, and he is keen to exploit the recent success achieved by Iraq as a center for regional diplomacy, and this is a priority for the Biden administration as well.

Former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi had deepened Iraq's integration with Egypt and Jordan and opened a new chapter in Iraqi relations with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Based on close personal relations with Arab and regional leaders, Al-Kazemi hosted Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other back-channel talks and held a summit on Iraq and Arab and regional leaders, in addition to French President Emmanuel Macron.

Al-Sudani offered to hold meetings between Saudi Arabia and Iran, but they have not succeeded so far.

Muqtada al-Sadr

The stakes seem high, as Iraq needs the investments of the Gulf states, especially coordination between Iraq and the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab Gulf States on energy.

The Gulf states want a stable Iraq, but things have changed now, given the ongoing turmoil in Iran, and what that could mean for Iraq, which will make the Gulf states wait and see.

Inside Iraq, the cleric Muqtada al-Sadr represents another card, and he is ready to pounce if al-Sudani fails.

The "Coordination Framework", to which Al-Sudani belongs, came to power after Al-Sadr, whose party won the majority of seats in the October 2021 special elections, and withdrew its members in a puzzling way from the Iraqi Parliament in June 2022. As a result of this step, the Sunni Progressive Party led by the Speaker of Parliament remained. Muhammad al-Halbousi, as well as the Kurdistan Democratic Party led by Massoud Barzani, are close to the "coordination framework".

Even Iraqis familiar with al-Sadr claim that they are baffled by al-Sadr's past or future movements, and speculations in Baghdad indicate that al-Sadr is in a state of reassessment, and even loyalists who are very close to him feel that he made a big mistake by withdrawing his members from parliament.

There is confusion about the possibility of opposition in his inner circle.

No one wants to get rid of him. Al-Sadr leads the streets, and his followers are large groups of disenfranchised Shiite youth who rally around him as the heir to a respected religious family, the steadfast opponent of what many consider a corrupt regime, and his rejection of foreign influence in Iraq, especially the American military presence.

Pass reform as laws

However, al-Sudani is not afraid of the Sadrist movement despite the headwinds, and continues to advance his expanded agenda. He has a big idea for a deeper partnership with Turkey, to provide gas and energy to Europe, and he is optimistic about the future of issuing an oil-related law between Baghdad and Erbil.

He says that in the interest of Baghdad, the Iraqi Kurdish parties must resolve their differences and reach an agreement with Baghdad.

Indeed, the next two weeks are crucial, given that negotiators are in the final stages of agreeing on the Iraqi budget.

Given that the framework agreement commands a majority in Parliament, there is a chance that the reform will be passed as law.

For the Sudanese to achieve success on any of these fronts, Iraq must not be a party to the region's conflicts, and this is one of the Sudanese prime minister's messages to Washington, Iran and the Gulf.

It all depends on whether Tehran listens to him from behind the blockade and gives him the space he needs.

• Although Al-Sudani has only been in office for more than six weeks, the responsibilities on his shoulders seem daunting and daunting, and he knows that Iraqis desperately want an accountable government.

• Al-Sudani prioritizes Iraq's integration with the Arab countries, which include the Gulf states, and is keen to capitalize on Iraq's recent success as a hub for regional diplomacy.

• Iraq suffers some damage when Iran feels threatened, as well as when Iranian-US relations deteriorate.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news