Iraq deadlock stalls government formation after elections
Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, left, opens the first parliament session, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. Iraq's new parliament held its first session on Sunday, nearly three months after Iraqis voted in a general election whose results have been contested by powerful Iran-backed factions. (Iraqi Parliament Media Office via AP) Mass Image Compressor Compressed this image. https://sourceforge.net/projects/icompress/ with Quality:80
Iraq’s efforts to form a new government following November’s parliamentary elections have stalled, as disputes over the premiership and the presidency deepen political uncertainty in Baghdad, according to The Arab Weekly on January 20th.
Hopes that the post-election process would move quickly faded after Nouri al-Maliki was put forward again as a candidate for prime minister, reviving long-standing rivalries within Iraq’s political elite.
The decision by outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani not to seek a second term briefly raised expectations that the country might avoid the prolonged negotiations that have often followed previous elections.
Early signs appeared positive when Sunni blocs reached a swift agreement on the post of parliamentary speaker, meeting constitutional deadlines despite earlier internal divisions. That momentum, however, failed to carry over into talks among the Shia and Kurdish parties over the remaining senior positions.
Within the Shia-led Coordinating Framework, factions have been unable to agree on a nominee for prime minister, a post traditionally allocated to the Shia majority.
Maliki’s bid to return to office has sharpened divisions among influential actors within the alliance, including groups aligned with Ammar al-Hakim and the militia-linked Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq movement led by Qais al-Khazali.
At the same time, Kurdish parties have remained split over the presidency, which is reserved for the Kurdish community. The Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan have failed to unite behind a single candidate, with the KDP challenging the long-standing convention that has seen the post held by the PUK since 2003.
The dispute reflects broader tensions between the two parties, which have previously paralysed the Kurdistan parliament and delayed the formation of a regional government.
The divisions within the Shia bloc have been further complicated by conditions set by the Nasr coalition, led by former prime minister Haider al-Abadi. The group has called for clear criteria governing the selection of the next premier, including limits on political dominance and enhanced oversight mechanisms.
Salam al-Zubaidi, speaking on behalf of the Nasr coalition, said the Coordinating Framework would revisit agreed standards for choosing a prime minister, warning that failure to reach consensus could deepen internal fractures.
Political analysts caution that prolonged delays in government formation risk exacerbating Iraq’s economic, political, and security challenges, particularly amid heightened regional instability.
International partners, including the United States, are closely watching the process and have signalled concern over the role of armed factions in any future administration. Despite those concerns, such groups continue to wield significant influence over both leadership selection and policy direction
Arab Weekly plus agencies, Maghrebi.org
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