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Iraq Parliment Updates

A place to talk about domestic politics in Middle East (Iran, Iraq , Turkey, Syria) Also includes topics about Assyrian, Armenian, Chaldean .

Iraq Parliment Updates

PostAuthor: Anthea » Thu Feb 24, 2022 1:18 am

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KDP presidential candidate

Iraq’s parliament approved the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) candidate for the Iraqi presidency on Tuesday, deciding to vote for the position at the end of next week

Iraq held parliamentary elections on October 10. The new members of the parliament elected the legislature’s presidency in January but they have failed to elect a president for the country due to disputes. The KDP initially fielded Iraq’s former foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, for the position but his candidacy was revoked by the Supreme Federal Court due to corruption allegations.

The parliament gave another chance to the political parties to field candidates, with the KDP fielding Kurdistan Region’s Interior Minister Reber Ahmed for the position on February 14.

The legislature said on Tuesday that 59 people had submitted applications to the position but only 33 were approved, including Ahmed, adding that it rejected the rest as they did not meet certain conditions such as lacking political background and university degrees, and one candidate for failing to meet the age requirement.

During a session of the legislature earlier in the day, Mohammed al-Halbousi, the previous and incumbent speaker of the parliament, said that the new president will be voted upon at the end of next week.

According to a long-standing customary agreement, the three main leadership positions in the Iraqi government are divided among Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis. Kurds get the presidency, Shiites get the premiership, and Sunnis get the parliamentary speaker. Among Kurds, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has held on to the presidency position since 2005.

The PUK has nominated Barham Salih, incumbent president of the country, to remain in his position, but the KDP has refused to support his candidacy.

The top winner, the Sadrist movement, has struck a deal with the KDP and most Sunnis. The leaders of the alliance are expected to meet in Erbil in the coming days.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/220220223
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Re: A new president for Iraq (hopefully)

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Mar 25, 2022 5:45 pm

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Foreign interference in government formation

The process of negotiation around the formation of Iraq’s next government has been crippled by foreign interference from regional and international players, according to former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who claimed on Wednesday that the country’s parties would have reached an agreement by now if it were not for external interference

Since the country went to the polls on October 10, Iraq’s political parties and alliances have been at loggerheads over the election of the country’s presidency, which is reserved for Kurds, and the premiership, which constitutional convention dictates is reserved for Shiites. In January, during the first sitting of the new parliament, Mohammed al-Halbousi was re-elected for a second term as the parliament speaker; a position reserved for Sunnis.

Almost all political players in the Iraqi scene have been around since the toppling of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, and have haggled with one another on numerous occasions. Their failure to reach an understanding over how to share power has made them vulnerable to even greater interference from Iran, Turkey and the Gulf States, as well as the United States.

The prime minister from 2006 to 2014 and current leader of the State of Law Coalition, the largest party within the Coordination Framework consisting of pro-Iran groups, has admitted that this external interference has always existed but that it is at its peak. “There has been clear political interference in all the processes [since 2003],” Maliki told his party’s TV station on Wednesday evening. “We have not seen this level of interference in the history of the political process.”

The Shiite groups and Kurdish parties have found it difficult to find a middle ground and are divided between the two main alliances: the Save the Homeland Alliance which consists of the Sadrist bloc, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Sunni parties, versus the Coordination Framework of Maliki's State of Law Coalition and other pro-Iran groups, alongside the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

Maliki said in the interview that unless there is an agreement between the KDP and the PUK over a presidential candidate, the deadlock would continue and, with it, the danger of further derailing the political process. The PUK insists that their choice - current President Barham Salih - be re-elected while the KDP opposes the candidacy of Salih and wants to push its candidate, the current interior minister Rebar Ahmed, to occupy the ceremonial post.

The KDP and its allies hope that on Saturday they will be able to push their Ahmed through and see him elected as the next president with the presence of at least 220 parliamentarians out of the 329 needed to reach the legal quorum.

Since 2003, Iran, Turkey and the Gulf countries as well as the United States have had their say in the formation of Iraq’s governments and the election of its leaders. Maliki said that during his second term as prime minister in 2010, the then US Vice President Joe Biden suggested to him that Jalal Talabani should not be re-elected president. “I refused and told him that Mam Jalal, may God bless his soul, will not accept,” Maliki claimed in the interview.

The comments from Maliki came two days after Turkey once again bombed the northern Duhok province reportedly targeting Kurdish militants, and less than two weeks after Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Erbil, allegedly targeting an Israeli base. In fact, on Wednesday night the head of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued further threats that the forces under his command would target the Kurdistan Region once more in retaliation for the killing of members of its force. IRGC Commander Hossein Salami suggested that the March 13 missile attack on Erbil was in retaliation for the killing of two IRGC commanders in Syria by Israelis earlier in the month. This contradicts Iranian statements that the targeting of Erbil was to strike a Israeli base.

“Be careful, we don’t just hold [a] funeral for our martyrs but we avenge them immediately and this message is real and serious,” Salami warned. “If you repeat it again, you will experience the missile attack again.”

Maliki added in the interview that the missile attack on Erbil was not related to the lingering political process in Baghdad, and instead claimed that it was a fight between Iran and Israel.

Mashaan al-Juboori, however, a notable member of the Save the Homeland Alliance said that the Sunni’s alliance with the Sadrists and the KDP would not be intimidated by the language of missiles from Iran.

“We as the Save the Homeland Alliance are sticking to our project that we have carried out in a peaceful way and as per the constitution… the topic of the presidency for the KDP’s candidate is not a matter of discussion,” Juboori told Iraq state media on Monday.

“Iran is an important neighboring country, it has the largest borders with Iraq, and has deep relations with the KDP, the PUK, the Shiite Islamic powers, we respect that and take it into consideration, but we will not give in to the language of rockets, if we were to give in, Halbousi would not have become the parliamentary speaker,” Juboori said.

While Maliki and other parties within the Coordination Framework as well as the PUK are close to Iran, the Sunni parties are close with the Gulf countries and Turkey. The KDP has cordial relations with Turkey, Gulf countries and, to a lesser extent, with Iran.

Halbousi and the leader of Azm Alliance Khamis al-Khanjar - two of the most notable Sunni politicians - visited Istanbul to meet with the Turkish president and the head of Turkey national intelligence in late February.

“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a closed-door meeting with the two Iraqi officials at the Vahdettin Mansion, according to the Presidency of Turkey,” Anadolu Agency reported on February 26. “Hakan Fidan, head of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization, also attended the meeting.”

Both Iran and Turkey have used drones, missiles and cross-border operations to target militants of several groups that are based in the Kurdistan Region and fight the two states. While the two countries have serious disagreements, they view the Kurdistan Region through the prism of security and have often trampled on Iraqi sovereignty by carrying out attack after attack.

Maliki said in the interview that the neighboring countries often say that Iraq is their security backyard and thus allow themselves to interfere in the country. “Turkey says that Iraq is a security backyard and a matter of our national security, Arabs and the Gulf [countries] say the same, Iran also says that Iraq is our security backyard and a matter of our national security,” Maliki said. “And under the pretext of national security, it is as if this is a permission to interfere in Iraqi affairs.”

Under the administration of Biden, the US military has carried out two airstrikes against facilities of Iran-backed militias, the latest of which was in June 2021. The airstrikes have targeted locations of Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq and Syria, killing dozens of PMF militia. The US Department of Defense called the strikes an “unambiguous deterrent message,“ in response to a series of ongoing attacks against US personnel and facilities in Iraq.

Enraged by the airstrikes, the PMF groups vowed revenge against “the American occupier” through their Telegram channels, threatening to increase their attacks on US forces in the country.

It is unclear as to whether the legal quorum will be met on Saturday’s session to elect Iraq’s president, with the Coordination Framework's threats of boycotting the session continuing to cast a shadow of uncertainty over its success.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/240320223
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Re: A new president for Iraq (hopefully)

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Mar 25, 2022 5:48 pm

Iraqi presidential post deadline looms

Iraq's two biggest parliamentary alliances: Save the Homeland Alliance and the Coordination Framework are at loggerheads over the position of president of Iraq as Saturday is set as the date when parliament will convene to elect a new president. However, the Coordination Framework's threats of boycotting the session have cast a shadow of uncertainty over its success

The tripartite alliance between the Sadrist Movement, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance on Wednesday announced their nomination for the Iraqi presidency, selecting the KDP's Reber Ahmed.

Before calls from influential Shiite cleric and head of the Sadrist Movement Muqtada al-Sadr for independent MPs to attend Saturday's session, the Save the Homeland Alliance had 178 seats. Around 50 independent MPs and other coalitions will also attend the session, according to a Sadrist MP, raising the total number of attendees to 230, exceeding the required 220 MPs to commence the session.

Sherwan Dubardani, a KDP MP, told Rudaw that the 220 MPs required to complete the legal quorum for Saturday's session have been guaranteed.

However, many MPs are doubtful of the success of the upcoming session. "Saturday's session requires the presence of two-thirds of members of the House of Representatives, as the Federal Supreme Court decided, and this number is very difficult if there is no agreement and understanding in the next two days," Salam al-Zubaidi, an MP of the Victory Alliance, which is part of the Coordination Framework, told Rudaw on Thursday.

The Coordination Framework’s Persistence Alliance, consisting of over 100 MPs, have expressed their intention to boycott the session, as they persist in attempts to form a government based on political consensus, one that opposes a "national majority government" wanted by Sadr.

Leader of the State of Law Coalition Nouri al-Maliki rejected Sadr's claim to have the largest bloc, saying that "the Coordination Framework is the largest bloc," in an interview with his own TV channel on Wednesday. "If Saturday's session is not held, the tripartite alliance will be forced to hold negotiations in order to reach an understanding with the Coordination Framework," he added.

Ahmed, the tripartite alliance's nominee for the presidency, expressed his gratitude for the nomination, stating that he was "honored to have gained the trust of the Save the Homeland Alliance."

"I pledge to work to consolidate the foundations of a modern institutional state that meets the aspirations of citizens," read Ahmed's statement.
If the legal quorum of 220 MPs present in Saturday's vote for president is reached, the session's legitimacy will not be dependent on the presence of the Coordination Framework and the PUK.

Plans of a united Kurdish front in Baghdad failed to come to fruition after the KDP made agreements with the Sadrists and the Sunni Taqadum coalition, a move that the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) considers to be a disadvantage for Kurds.

Iraq held snap elections on October 10. The vote was called in response to mass protest in the country beginning in October 2019, caused by widespread dissatisfaction with Iraq's politicians and endemic corruption in the country.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/24032022
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Re: A new president for Iraq (hopefully)

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Mar 26, 2022 3:16 pm

Iraq fails to elect a president

The Iraqi parliamentary session which was set to elect a new president on Saturday has been adjourned to Wednesday, as the body failed to meet the quorum

The legislature was supposed to vote on a new president for the country at 11am. With the strongest candidates being the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) Reber Ahmed, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) Barham Salih - who currently serves the post.

Hours after its originally scheduled timing, the Iraqi parliament decided to postpone the presidential election to Wednesday, after the Save the Homeland Alliance - consisting of the KDP, the Sadrist Movement, and the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance - failed to secure the 220 MPs needed to meet the legal quorum.

The session was attended by 202 MPs, according to the legislature’s media office, which falls short of the two-thirds minimum needed to carry out the session.

The Coordination Framework, who are reportedly backed by Iran, had previously announced that they would boycott the session, as they oppose the Save the Homeland Alliance’s attempt to form a national majority government, persisting in forming a consensus government.

The Coordination Framework was joined by MPs from the PUK, the al-Azm Alliance, the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), the Kurdistan Justice Party (KJP), and a number of independent MPs in boycotting the session.

The State of Law Coalition, a main component of the Coordination Framework, reported through their media outlets that they had presented 126 signatures to the presidency of the parliament from MPs that had decided to boycott the meeting.

After failing to elect a president, the parliament decided to vote on parliamentary committees and an emergency food support package.

The Iraqi parliament has postponed its regular session to be held on Monday, and the presidential election to be carried out on Wednesday.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/26032022
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Re: Iraqi parliament fails to elect a president

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Apr 01, 2022 9:33 pm

Iraqi parliament still waiting

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) along with the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance expressed their desire to stick alongside the Sadrist bloc on Friday, amid months of political turmoil as Iraq's parliamentary factions have thrice failed to elect a new president and pave the way for government formation

The two components said that they "value the position" of prominent Shiite cleric and leader of the Sadrist Movement Muqtada al-Sadr in "expediting the formation of a strong government that works to address the complex issues facing the Iraqi people" in a joint statement, while confirming their adherence to the partnership with the Sadrist bloc.

Their statement further declared that "a strong government cannot be born without their partnership."

The tripartite alliance of the Sadrists, KDP, and the Sovereignty Alliance make up the recently-announced Save the Homeland Alliance, which won over 150 parliamentary seats in the October elections.

The alliance's nominees for president and prime minister are KDP's Reber Ahmed and Sadr's cousin Mohammed Jaafar al-Sadr respectively, but they have thus far failed on two occasions in obtaining the required quorum for a session to vote for Ahmed, who, once elected, can task Jaafar to form a government.

Sadr on Thursday announced that he is stepping back from the government formation process for a month, and giving his rivals in the contest to form Iraq's next government an "opportunity" to form a government without the participation of his bloc.

A pro-Iran Shiite alliance, the Coordination Framework, is the tripartite alliance's rival in the government formation process. They oppose the idea of a national majority government, instead wanting a government based on political consensus.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), backing incumbent Barham Salih for the presidency, has joined the Coordination Framework along with a host of other parties, repeatedly boycotting parliamentary sessions to elect Iraq's next president.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/01042022
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Re: Iraqi parliament fails to elect a president

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Apr 16, 2022 12:22 am

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US pressuring Iraqi to form government

Iraq held parliamentary elections on October 10 but the parliamentary blocs have so far failed to agree on candidates for the president and prime minister positions. Although talks are ongoing, there is no progress

“The United States and our partners, certainly, we were not silent in the preparations for the elections. That’s why we allocated $10 million to support the UN mission and five million dollars more to support monitoring teams. And that encouraged other countries to do the same.

The result was the most technically sound and secure elections that Iraq has ever had. So it should not be a surprise that the results were very different than what you have seen in previous elections,”

“Now, it is the time for a government to be formed that reflects the will of the Iraqi voter. That’s obviously not happening yet and the United States is pressing all parties to quickly agree to a government so that the government can start providing better services to its people - that’s what they were elected for,” he added.

Regarding Erbil-Baghdad oil and gas disputes, Hood said that both sides have to find a solution.

“We were encouraged to see the two sides sitting down and starting a dialogue, and we encourage that because we believe that they can and they must come up with a solution that is acceptable to all parties,” he said.

“This is important not just for the Iraqi Kurdistan Region or the other parts of Iraq, but also for world energy markets. As you know, because of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, now world energy markets are suffering, food security is suffering and so we need to make sure that markets are as fully-supplied as possible,” added the US official.

Hood discussed the political process in Iraq with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and PM Masrour Barzani in Erbil on Wednesday.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/140420221
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Re: Iraqi parliament fails to elect a president

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sun Apr 24, 2022 11:23 pm

Will Iraqi elect president in May?!?

An alliance of Iraqi and Kurdish opposition blocs on Sunday submitted a request to hold a session to elect Iraq’s new president in the first week of May as the country continues to suffers from a political deadlock months after the elections

For the People Alliance, formed between the Kurdish New Generation party, Emtidad Movement, and ten independents “presented an initiative that includes collecting signatures to hold a session [to elect the president] on Saturday, May 7,” state media quoted head of the alliance Alaa al-Rikabi as saying.

The session aims to “elect the president of the republic, find a political solution, complete the parliamentary committees and approve the budget law,” he added, while calling on all MPs to attend the session.

Squabbles between rival Shiite blocs, the Coordination Framework and the Sadrist movement, in the Iraqi parliament scuppered the legislature’s third attempt to elect a new president on March 30 after a majority of MPs from the Iran-backed Shiite parties boycotted the session.

Under the Iraqi constitution, the president should be elected within 30 days of electing the parliamentary speaker and his deputies, a session that was held on January 9. The head of state determines the new prime minister who will be voted in by an absolute majority of MPs.

Rikabi warned the new Iraqi lawmakers who have “sworn to abide by constitutional duties, that the alliance will file a lawsuit against the lawmakers who obstruct parliamentary sessions,” noting that the alliance will abide by the constitution and call for the dissolving of the parliament and an early elections “in case the session fails to be held.”

According to the constitution, the parliament could dissolve itself and call new elections, only if at least a third of the MPs meet and present the proposal which must then be approved by a majority plus one.

Iraq’s political process has fallen into a constitutional gap after its deadline to elect a new president, April 6, expired.

While the Iraqi constitution gives a period of one month to the parliament to elect a new president once nominations are closed, it does not specify what happens in case the legislature fails to do so in the given period. A decision to reopen nominations shall only be permitted by the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court upon an official request from the parliament.

The primary candidates for the presidency are Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) Reber Ahmed, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) incumbent Barham Salih.

While the political stalemate in Iraq is seen to be because of the PUK and the KDP disagreement on having a mutual candidate, Shiite parties are also broken into two, with the Sadrists calling for a national majority government that would exclude the Coordination Framework, and the framework insisting on a consensus government, a system that Iraq has abided by for years following the US invasion of the country in 2003.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/240420223
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Re: Iraqi parliament fails to elect a president

PostAuthor: Anthea » Tue Jun 14, 2022 8:49 am

Iraq sinks into political crisis

Shiite Muslim firebrand cleric and former anti-US militia leader Moqtada Sadr on Sunday sparked fresh turmoil when his followers, the biggest bloc in parliament, resigned en masse

The move deepened uncertainty in a country where democratic institutions built since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein remain fragile and Iran wields major influence.

Iraqis went to the polls in October, but the elected MPs have so far failed to agree on a new government to replace that of caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi.

Amid warnings that Iraq's political troubles could once more explode into popular anger and violence on the streets, here is a look at the latest crisis.

What just happened?

Sadr, who commands a devoted following among Iraq's majority Shiite community, is a wily politician known for surprise manoeuvres that sometimes baffle observers.

On Sunday evening, all 73 lawmakers who are part of his bloc stepped down -- a move he had telegraphed days earlier, to protest the paralysis gripping the 329-seat parliament.

In the past, Iraq's Shiite blocs have joined forces to build "consensus" governments -- but Sadr has instead advocated a "majority" government with Sunni and Kurdish parties.

Such a coalition would sideline his Shiite rivals of the pro-Iran Coordination Framework, which includes the political arm of the armed group Hashed al-Shaabi.

Parliamentary Speaker Mohammed al-Halbussi, speaking in Jordan on Monday, said the Sadrist resignations were already effective and would "not require" a vote.

The departing Sadrists will be replaced by those who came second in the October 2021 elections, he added.

Because these politicians come from very diverse political backgrounds, the reshuffle will change the make-up of the legislature, which is however going into recess now.

New elections are possible, but the parliament would first have to vote to dissolve itself.

What does Sadr want?

Since Saddam's fall Sadr, who wears a black turban symbolic of a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed, has become a key political figure.

Long considered fiercely anti-American, he also has a complicated relationship with Iran, whose outsized influence angers many Iraqis.

Sadr is believed to have no intention of becoming prime minister, a position that is far too exposed, and prefers the role of kingmaker.

His cousin Jaafar al-Sadr, Iraq's ambassador to London, who had recently made his interest for the position known, threw in the towel on Sunday.

Iraqi political scientist Ihsan al-Shammari said he finds it "difficult" to see how MPs from other parties will be able to form a government without Sadr.

If such a government were to emerge, he predicted, "it would quickly fall".

Another analyst, Hamzeh Hadad, called Sunday's move "more political theatre" from the Sadrist movement and Halbussi, the cleric's influential ally.

Last year, Sadr had first announced he would boycott legislative elections, before finally participating in them.

Hadad said that if a Shiite-dominated consensus government is formed after all, Sadr "will be able to shrug off the criticism of eventually joining by claiming that he went the furthest to try and prevent it".

How will Iraqis react?

The caretaker government of Kadhemi is only dealing with day-to-day affairs in Iraq where, according to the UN, about one third of the 41 million people now live in poverty.

In power since 2020, the former journalist and spymaster took over in the wake of a huge protest movement that shook Iraq in 2019.

The fury was fuelled by state corruption and nepotism, dismal economic prospects and poor public services. Little has changed since then.

Iraq, one of the world's most oil and gas-rich countries, is still unable to provide electricity on a regular basis. The unemployment rate among young people is 40 percent.

Hadad expects "new demonstrations this summer" when temperatures near 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

That is likely why Sadr had his elected officials resign, said Shammari, arguing that this way the cleric can avoid "taking the responsibility" for Iraq's deepening woes.

The UN envoy to Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, last month urged Iraqi politicians to end the deadlock, warning that "the streets are about to boil over".

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/28 ... cal-crisis
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Re: War-scarred Iraq sinks deeper into political crisis

PostAuthor: Anthea » Thu Jun 23, 2022 1:56 am

Sadr's latest move

Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr ordered the closure of all aside from six of his movement's offices "at the current stage" on Sunday following the resignation of all his movement's 73 members of parliament earlier in the day

Sadr called on Hassan al-Adhari, the head of the Sadrist bloc in parliament, to submit the resignations of his bloc's deputies.

The Holy Shrine Foundation, the Martyr's Office, Sadr's Office, the Antiquities Body, the Solid Structure Project, and the Martyr Museum are the six offices Sadr decided to keep open.

Sadr previously said that submitting the resignations was "a sacrifice on my part for the country and the people to rid them of an unknown fate."

Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Mohammed Al-Halbousi, "reluctantly" accepted the resignations of the 73 Sadrist members of the Iraqi Parliament on Sunday.

In a tweet, Halbousi said that upon "the desire of His Eminence, Muqtada al-Sadr, we reluctantly accepted the requests of our brothers and sisters, the Sadrist bloc's representatives, to resign from the Iraqi parliament."

نزولاً عند رغبة سماحة السيد مقتدى الصدر، قبلنا على مضض طلبات إخواننا وأخواتنا نواب الكتلة الصدرية بالاستقالة من مجلس النواب العراقي. لقد بذلنا جهداً مخلصاً وصادقاً لثني سماحته عن هذه الخطوة، لكنه آثر أن يكون مضحياً وليس سبباً معطِّلاً؛ من أجل الوطن والشعب، فرأى المضي بهذا القرار.
— محمد الحلبوسي (@AlHaLboosii) June 12, 2022

The tripartite Saving the Homeland coalition, consisting of the Sadrist Movement, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and the Al-Siyada alliance, had nominated Jaafar al-Sadr as its candidate for the Iraqi presidency. Al-Sadr tweeted on Monday that he had accepted the candidacy "in support of his national reform project, and now is the time to apologize and withdraw."

"Thank you to His Eminence and the Saving the Homeland Alliance for their trust," he added.

Hours before submitting the resignation of the Sadrist MPs, Muqtada al-Sadr phoned the leaders of the KDP and Al-Siyada to inform them about his final decision.

"We respect the decision of His Eminence Muqtada al-Sadr, and we will follow up on subsequent developments," KDP President Masoud Barzani tweeted on Monday.

نحترم قرار سماحة السيد مقتدى الصدر وسنتابع التطورات اللاحقة.
— Masoud Barzani (@masoud_barzani) June 13, 2022

"I received a call from His Eminence Muqtada al-Sadr, and I expressed my full respect and appreciation for the great sacrifice made by the Sadrist movement for the sake of the country and for reforming the political process," Al-Siyada Alliance leader Khamis Khanjar tweeted on Sunday.

Khanjar pointed out that "addressing the sins of the political system in Iraq is a national necessity on which we agree with everyone who believes in the homeland, and we will continue our dialogues for this goal."

تلقيت اتصالاً من سماحة السيد مقتدى الصدر، وأعربت عن كامل احترامي وتقديري للتضحية الكبيرة التي يقدمها التيار الصدري من أجل الوطن ومن أجل إصلاح العملية السياسية.
معالجة خطايا النظام السياسي في العراق ضرورة وطنية نتفق عليها مع كل من يؤمن بالوطن، وسنواصل حواراتنا من أجل هذا الهدف.
— خميس الخنجر (@khameskhanjar) June 12, 2022

Sadr's move came amidst a prolonged stalemate over government formation between his Saving the Homeland Alliance and its rival, the Shiite Coordination Framework (SCF), which consists primarily of Iran-backed parties.

The political parties under the SCF called for an urgent meeting at the residence of its leader, Hadi al-Amiri, to discuss the dramatic political development.

Following the resignation of the Sadrist Movement's parliamentarians, the followers of Sadr took to the streets of Baghdad later on Sunday for a rally attended by thousands of people to show support for Sadr.

The rally alarmed Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Khadimi's caretaker government. The prime minister ordered security forces to be on standby for any physical escalation of the political tensions in Baghdad.

Political observers warn that the mass resignation of Sadrist MPs has significant ramifications for parliament. They expect SCF members and their allies will fill these 73 vacant seats.

Under the relevant laws, the remaining candidates with the most votes will replace the resigned Sadrist MPs.

The coming days and weeks will determine if the political parties under the SCF will have enough seats to form a government on their own or if they will still need support from the KDP and the Al-Siyada Alliance to form a new government.

The question is whether the KDP and the Al-Siyada will decide to work with the SCF to form the next government and whether they will participate in that government.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/28 ... -landscape
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Re: War-scarred Iraq sinks deeper into political crisis

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Jun 25, 2022 9:51 am

KDP, PUK may agree candidate

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are more likely to agree on a single candidate for Iraq’s presidency, an MP from the latter told Rudaw on Saturday, believing that the KDP wants the position to be determined before a parliamentary vote

“There is a strong possibility for the PUK and the KDP to reach an agreement,” Karwan Yarwais told Rudaw's Snur Majeed on Saturday, adding that reaching an agreement to field one candidate is in the interest of Kurds.

The Kurdish political giants, who govern the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), have had disagreements over a variety of issues in recent months, and their race over Iraq’s presidential position further escalated the tensions.

Both Kurdish political parties fielded separate candidates for the same ceremonial position in 2018, and the PUK’s Barham Salih won the race. His party wants him to stay in the position.

Yarwais claimed that the KDP does not want to enter a parliamentary vote over the position as the recent withdrawal of its strong ally, Sadrist Movement, from the legislature has made PUK’s allies stronger.

The Iraqi presidential position has been held by the PUK since 2005 as per an agreement with the KDP.

Iraq held snap parliamentary elections in October. The KDP was in a tripartite alliance in the Iraqi parliament with the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance and the Sadrist Movement, which together sought to form a national majority government. The alliance came to an end when the Sadrists resigned from the legislature earlier this month.

The PUK MP stated that even if the Kurds were to reach an agreement, the government formation remains forestalled until the Shiites agree on a PM candidate.

He added that former premiers Nouri al-Maliki and Haider al-Abadi were among the names suggested as the Coordination Framework’s candidate for the position, but he believed it would be best to avoid those two names and nominate a candidate that would not further “upset” leader of the Sadirst Movement Muqtada al-Sadr, and risk the possibility of mass demonstrations.

Iraq continues to be shrouded in political instability with the country yet to form its next government a staggering eight months following the elections.

The pro-Iran Coordination Framework was the Sadrist Movement’s most formidable opponent before the withdrawal of the latter, opposing Sadr’s attempts at forming a national majority government and insisting on forming a government based on political consensus.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/25062022
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Re: War-scarred Iraq sinks deeper into political crisis

PostAuthor: Anthea » Mon Jul 04, 2022 2:31 am

Continued talks over presidency

Iraq’s top two Kurdish parties are continuing talks over the country’s presidency run, an official from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) said on Sunday, adding that the inability to reach an agreement will lead to the repentance of previous political scenarios

“The PUK and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) have not closed the window of negotiation on each other, they conducted a number of high-level meetings a few weeks ago,” PUK leadership council member and head of the party’s Baghdad branch Rabiha Hamad told Rudaw, adding that it is normal for the parties to meet and reach an agreement.

The Kurdish political giants, who govern the Kurdistan Region, have had disagreements over a variety of issues in recent months, and their race over Iraq’s presidential position further escalated the tensions.

Up to last month, the KDP held a strong position in their candidate’s race for the presidency, but a sudden withdrawal from the parliament’s largest Shiite bloc led by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on June 12, put KDP’s claim of the presidency, without the backing of their strong Shiite ally, to almost impossible.

Hamad stated that failure to reach an agreement between the two parties could lead to repeating 2018's scenario where both Kurdish political parties fielded separate candidates for the same ceremonial position, and the PUK’s Barham Salih won the race. His party wants him to stay in the position, but the KDP leadership is strongly opposing the re-election of Salih.

However, with the KDP losing a strong ally inside the parliament, the options remain between reaching a deal with the PUK and giving another parliamentary faceoff a chance.

“If both sides do not get closer and reach a solution and a common candidate soon, then just like 2018, both sides will go to the parliament with their own candidate and the parliament will vote,” Hamad said.

Considering the shared interests of both parties, the PUK seems to be eager to reach an agreement with the PUK but it also seems that it does not have an issue with repeating the same scenes from 2018.

“No official agreement has been achieved so far, but the PUK is still sticking to nominating Dr. Barham Salih to take over the position,” PUK MP Harem Kamal Agha told the party’s official media on Sunday.

“After Eid al-Adha, either both parties agree on one candidate or re-experience 2018 events, with each party going to the parliament hall with their candidate,” he added.

Iraqis headed to the election polls in October, the aim of holding early elections was to form a government that would fulfill the demands of the thousands of protesters who took to the streets of Baghdad and several southern provinces in 2019, forcing then prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi to resign.

However, nine months later, the new parliament failed to elect a new president of the republic on three different occasions, therefore unable to elect a prime minister and a new government.

The parliament is expected to meet yet again to elect a president after the Eid al-Adha holiday which will take up the week from July 9 to July 14.

With around two weeks until the next parliamentary session, the KDP is also in a rush to meet with the parties who want to form the country’s next government, the PUK and the Iran-backed Coordination Framework.

“The plan is to discuss everything with the PUK in the next two days and decide on the presidency as well,” Bangin Rekani, a member of the KDP’s negotiating team in Baghdad told Rudaw on Sunday, adding that his party is insistent on their candidate.

Iraq continues to be shrouded in political instability with the country yet to form its next government a staggering eight months following the elections.

The pro-Iran Coordination Framework was the Sadrist Movement’s most formidable opponent before the withdrawal of the latter, opposing Sadr’s attempts at forming a national majority government and insisting on forming a government based on political consensus.

But to date, it is unclear whether Sadr will continue to be an on-street opposition outside the parliament, or accept the government that the Coordination Framework forms.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/030720222
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Re: War-scarred Iraq sinks deeper into political crisis

PostAuthor: Anthea » Tue Jul 05, 2022 1:39 am

Kurdish parties must agree candidate

The Coordination Framework on Monday called on Kurdish parties to agree on a single candidate for the post of Iraq’s presidency, stressing the importance of stabilizing the political process and forming a “harmonious” government

The Coordination Framework, pro-Iran Shiite parliamentary faction, discussed the latest developments in Iraq’s political scene during its regular meeting, which was attended by the head of the political parties within the faction.

“Leaders of the [Coordination] Framework called on the Kurdish forces to unify their efforts and work on settling a candidate for the presidency of the [Iraqi] republic,” read a statement from the Shiite faction following the meeting.

According to a long-standing customary agreement, the presidency lies with the Kurds and the position has been held by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) since 2005.

Up to last month, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) held a strong position in challenging the PUK for the position, but a sudden withdrawal by the parliament’s largest Shiite bloc led by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on June 12, rendered the KDP’s claim to the presidency difficult without the backing of their strong Shiite ally.

The statement from the Framework added that the criteria, mechanisms, and deadlines for selecting the next president and the prime minister of Iraq were also discussed during the meeting.

Iraq continues to be shrouded in political instability with the country yet to form its next government almost nine months following the elections.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/040720223
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Re: War-scarred Iraq sinks deeper into political crisis

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Jul 09, 2022 11:42 pm

Sadr Iraq a prisoner of corruption

Revered Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr warned Saturday of Iraq's rampant corruption and foreign interference in the country

"Iraq has become a prisoner of corruption and dependency and foreign interference," Sadr tweeted on Eid al-Adha.

The Sadrist Movement leader continued by asking "God to bless Iraq and the Iraqis with reform" so that "Iraq and its people will be happy under the banner of religion, belief, and homeland" away from external interventions.

Iraqis headed to the election polls in October, the aim of holding early elections was to form a government that would fulfil the demands of the thousands of protesters who took to the streets of Baghdad and several southern provinces in 2019, forcing then prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi to resign.

The Sadrist Movement emerged from the elections as the victorious bloc with the most parliamentary seats and sought to form a national majority government in a tripartite alliance with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance.

However, faced with staunch opposition from the pro-Iran Shiite parliamentary faction Coordination Framework, who insisted on forming a more traditional government based on political consensus, Sadr last month asked all 73 MPs of his bloc to submit their resignations in an effort to end the political impasse that has plagued the country since the October elections.

Their resignations were approved by Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi shortly after.

It is unclear whether Sadr will continue to be an on-street opposition outside the parliament or accept the government that the Coordination Framework forms.

In May, Sadr blamed Iraq's politicians for having "become an example of corruption and vice, except for a few" and stated that he has no intention of striking a deal with other Shiite blocs, a month before his eventual resignation from parliament.

Iraq continues to be mired in political instability with the country yet to form its next government a staggering nine months following early elections.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/090720221
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Re: War-scarred Iraq sinks deeper into political crisis

PostAuthor: Anthea » Mon Jul 11, 2022 11:41 pm

Close to naming Iraq PM

The Coordination Framework is closing in on naming Iraq’s next prime minister, said Leader of the State of Law Coalition Nouri al-Maliki on Monday, a month after the withdrawal of rival Muqtada al-Sadr from the parliament

Maliki, a key member of the pro-Iran Coordination Framework, on Monday addressed the latest developments in the faction’s quest towards forming Iraq’s next government and putting an end to the political impasse that has plagued the country since October’s elections.

Maliki stated that the Framework has made an important stride in the political dialogue, stressing that they have been open to “ideas and mechanisms” from all the political components.

“The framework is close to achieving its goals, the most important of which is naming the prime minister [of Iraq] and forming a government capable of advancing the current security and service situation within the mechanisms prepared in advance to serve Iraq and its honorable people,” read a statement from Maliki’s office.

The statement from the State of Law leader comes hours after fellow Coordination Framework member Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Fatih Alliance, denied the rumors that he would run for Iraq’s premiership, but stressed that he will support any candidate chosen by the Framework for the position.

The Coordination Framework is a pro-Iran parliamentary faction consisting of all the Shiite blocs in the Iraqi parliament - excluding the resigned Sadrist bloc - and a number of independent MPs, which opposed Sadr’s attempts to form a national majority government following October’s elections, insisting on forming a government based on political consensus.

The Sadrist bloc, who emerged from the October elections with 73 seats, the highest number of seats in the Iraqi parliament, previously nominated Mohammad Jaafar al-Sadr for the position of prime minister, but withdrew the nomination when the bloc collectively resigned from the legislature on June 12.

Iraq held an early election on October 10. The vote was called in response to mass protests in the country beginning in October 2019, caused by widespread dissatisfaction with Iraq’s politicians and endemic corruption in the country.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/110720222
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Re: War-scarred Iraq sinks deeper into political crisis

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Jul 16, 2022 5:57 pm

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Sadr rallies masses in show of unity

Thousands of supporters of influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gathered in Baghdad following his call to Friday prayer in a grand display of unity and strength, sending messages to political rivals despite not attending the ceremony in person

Branded “The Friday of Unity,” the gathering was set to commemorate a tradition of Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, Sadr’s father, who united masses of Shiites in Friday prayer, as a sign of opposing the rule of fallen Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Sadr was not present to address the scores of supporters that attended the ceremony, but tasked Mahmoud al-Jayashi, a local Shiite cleric, with delivering a speech on his behalf.

The leader of the Sadrist Movement directed a message towards his political rivals and their stalled quest in forming a new Iraqi government nine months after the parliamentary elections, “advising” them on the mechanisms needed to form the government.

“They [political rivals] promise that their next government will not be the same as its predecessors, so I say the first step towards Tawbah [repentance] is holding the corrupt accountable, publicly and without hesitation,” read the speech from Sadr.

All 73 Sadrist Movement MPs resigned from the Iraqi parliament in June upon the request of the leader, who stated that his “sacrifice” was aimed at paving the way for political rivals to form a government without him.

Friday’s gathering shows the magnitude of Sadr’s popularity and political influence despite his resignation.

Sadr’s attempts to form a national majority government were obstructed by the rival Coordination Framework, a pro-Iran Shiite parliamentary faction that has called for the formation of a government based on political consensus.

Reiterating the words from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, "what has been tried should not be retried," Sadr stressed that a government with the same politicians as before would lead to tragedies similar to Speicher and Saqlawiyah.

On June 12, 2014, about 1,566 Shiite cadets undergoing training at Camp Speicher in Tikrit were executed by Islamic State group (ISIS) militants, who had initially promised them safe passage.

On June 3, 2016 around 1,300 men and boys were put into buses and trucks by armed men as they were trying to flee from the ISIS in the city of Saqlawiyah in the Fallujah district of Anbar province. The whereabouts of over 600 of them are still unknown.

The Shiite leader also added that the next government must expel the remaining “occupiers” in a diplomatic and parliamentary manner.

“This is the foremost right of the people: to live free, independent, and away from the interventions and arsenal of the occupier,” read the statement from Sadr.

Sadr has previously accused foreign powers, including the United States and Iran, of meddling in Iraq’s affairs and violating its sovereignty.

Sadr also called on dissolving all armed groups that fall outside the authority of the Iraqi armed forces, emphasizing that the Iraqi army and police must be respected and protected from offensives of militias.

Following the conclusion of the ceremony, the Shiite leader took to Twitter to thank God, his followers, and the security forces for this “great victory.”

Sadr wishes his supporters a safe return home despite initial rumors that protests would ensue following the prayer.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/150720221
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