Iraqi political forces enter the new parliament today, amid disagreements

Sunday - 6 Jumada al-Akhirah 1443 AH - 09 January 2022

Baghdad: «Asharq Al-Awsat»

The leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, renewed his firm position on the formation of a national majority government (neither eastern nor western), in reference to his rejection of US-Iranian interference in the contexts of its formation. While the Iraqi political forces failed to contain their differences, whether at the level of the largest bloc or the division of the sovereign positions (the three presidencies), the leader of the Sadrist movement announced in a tweet yesterday evening that an agreement had been reached regarding the largest bloc with the alliance “Progress” led by Muhammad al-Halbousi and “Azm” » led by Khamis al-Khanjar, the Kurdistan Democratic Party led by Masoud Barzani, and a Shiite bloc of 5 deputies under the title "Design" that confused the political scene, especially at the level of the forces of the coordination framework (which includes a group of Shiite blocs such as Al-Fateh, State of Law, Asa'ib, Al-Hikma, Victory and the National Contract).

The coordinating framework forces said in a statement after al-Sadr’s tweet that the framework “discussed the issue of the largest bloc and the course of the first session and expressed its keenness to adhere to the legal and constitutional contexts,” reiterating what he called the call for “all representatives of the largest social component (in reference to the Shiite majority population), especially the brotherhood in the Sadrist bloc to form the most numerous bloc to preserve this constitutional entitlement and the stability of the political process.” The framework forces concluded their statement addressed to the Sunni and Kurdish partners by thanking "all the national forces that were keen to support understandings and not contribute to aggravating the situation."

While this statement appeared to be a response to an assumed understanding with the Kurds and Sunnis announced by al-Sadr, the joint Kurdish delegation between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, headed by the two leaders of the two parties, Imad Ahmed (the Patriotic Union) and Hoshyar Zebari (the Kurdistan Democratic Party), met yesterday, Saturday, with the leaders of the coordination framework. While the two Kurdish parties did not issue a statement regarding this meeting, the coordinating framework announced that during the meeting with the Kurdish delegation, “the elections file, the circumstances and the objections that accompanied the conduct of the electoral process and the file of forming the next government,” stressing “the need to reach common understandings that contribute to addressing the current problems.” And the transition to the stage of forming a government through the cooperation of all parties and national forces away from exclusion and marginalization of any component of the Iraqi people ». It was also agreed to "respect the privacy of social components and not stand with one party at the expense of another in order to sustain and preserve the political process."

The joint Kurdish delegation, which continues its visit to Baghdad, is trying, for its part, to reach an understanding on a joint Kurdish paper with the various political parties in Iraq at a time when its internal dispute over the post of President of the Republic has not yet been resolved. At a time when the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, led by Bafel Jalal Talabani, adheres to its candidate for the position of the current president, Barham Salih, the Kurdistan Democratic Party led by Massoud Barzani, even if he gave up a candidate for the position before him, still insists that the Patriotic Union nominate another figure instead of Saleh. On whether the Kurdish position will remain united, Dr. Vian Sabri, a member of the Iraqi parliament for the Democratic Party, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the two main Kurdish parties in the Kurdistan region agree on the general lines, and it is a declared position for both of them, and they are moving in light of this through their meetings with the Iraqi political forces.” other.”

In addition, al-Sadr, whose movement came first in the elections that took place during the month of October 2021, reiterated the emphasis on forming a government without external interference (neither eastern nor western). He said in a tweet yesterday: "Today there is no place for sectarianism and no place for ethnicity, but a national majority government in which the Shiite defends the rights of minorities, Sunnis and Kurds." He added: "The Kurdish will defend the rights of minorities, Sunnis and Shiites, and the Sunni will defend the rights of minorities, Shiites and Kurds." He continued, "Today, there is no place for corruption, as all sects will support reform," stressing that "there is no place for militias, for everyone will support the army, police and security forces, and the law will prevail in an impartial Iraqi judiciary." Al-Sadr concluded his tweet by saying: “Today we and the people will say: No, our decision is Iraqi Shiite Sunni Kurdish Turkmen Christian Fili Shabak Yazidi Sabian: (Iraqi national mosaic, neither eastern nor western).”

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