The New York Times is reporting the Sadrist bloc has made a stunning reversal to support erstwhile opponent and political bugbear, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, for another term at the helm of the Iraqi government. The Sadrists’ 39 seats would prove the critical tipping point for the incumbent premiere.
Should the Shi’a party – defined by its connection to nationalist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr – move forward with al-Maliki’s State of Law coalition, the alliance should command the Parliamentary seats necessary to win a majority and establish a new government. The contending Iraqi National Alliance’s top man, Adel Abdelmehdi, seems to have been shut out by the Sadrists unexpected about-face.
But the deal isn’t set in stone. A number of steps have yet to taken – the al-Maliki/Sadr ticket must shore up their support from the Kurds to guarantee their majority. Parliament must also convene to formally elect a president. This hasn’t happened since the government assembled this past spring to call roll. However, the most formidable obstacle to the creation of a new government remains the Iraqiya bloc, led by former PM Ayad Allawi. Having won 91 seats in the March 7 election (two more than Maliki’s State of Law), the party stated last week it will not participate under a Maliki-led government.
Seven months after the election was held, the one thing all parties involved can agree upon is that the next government must include the full galaxy of Iraq’s splintered political faction. The inclusion of Iraqiya, which was heavily supported by minority Sunnis, is critical to national stability. As Allawi has warned, an Iraqi government that rejects their presence could lead to renewed sectarian conflict and fatally undermine any shred of confidence the people still have in their government.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
