Irak celebrate this Tuesday some parliamentary elections marked by general apathy and a stake which is estimated at historic lowsaccording to several surveys and experts. Both point to a probable re-election of the current prime minister, Mohammed Shia al Sudaniwhich has managed to leave behind the worst years of violence and sectarian tension in the Arab country, despite the enormous power that the pro-Iran militiasnow converted into mafia and extortion groups.
However, a clear majority is not expected for Al Sudani’s party, which will have to negotiate the new Executive —he came to power in 2022—in a maximum period of 30 days, something complicated in a fragmented Iraq, with several parties representing military and power factions at odds with each other. These elections, thus, are viewed by a large part of the population with enormous disinterest.
The winner of the last 2021 elections, the influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadrhas called electoral boycott. Participation is expected at historic lows. Al Sadr was marginalized by all the other formations, which in those elections agreed to hand over power to an Al Sudani little known within Iraqi society.
He Iraqi political system stipulates—as in Lebanon— a division of powers between the various groups that make up the country: the prime minister, who controls the executive power, must be of the Shia majoritywhile the president of Parliament must be suni and the presidency, a more representative than political position, must be for a kurdish. Los election results this Tuesday are not expected until the end of this week.
“For Iraq’s 21 million registered voters, these elections will do little or nothing more than give legitimacy of the political order forever. The results will not lead to any dramatic changes to the Iraqi political map,” the analyst explained to the Reuters agency. Ahmed Yunis.
between two waters
The executive that emerges victorious after these elections will have the arduous and sometimes impossible task of maintaining its balance and relationships, at the same time, with USA e Irantwo countries increasingly separated and at odds, especially after the 12-day war in June of this year between Tehran e Israelin which Washington also participated.
Since then, Iran has refused to return to negotiating table with the Administration of the American president, Donald Trumpto achieve a nuclear agreement that prevents the Persian country from developing its own atomic bomb.
Sudani has managed, in recent months, to keep his country away from this conflict and from Israel’s wars against Iranian allies and militias throughout the region, since the Yemen to Lebanon, Syria y Palestine.
Subscribe to continue reading
