Moqtada al-Sadr’s new
alliance with Badr’s Hadi Amiri has upset Sadr’s partner the Iraqi
Communist Party (ICP). The ICP was weary
of making
any deal with the Fatah list that Amiri heads. Publicly, the Communists issued
a statement
saying they welcomed the new coalition. Behind the scenes however there were various
reports of deep
divisions, arguments, and insults being thrown around within the the party. The
Communists see this latest move as a step backwards towards another sectarian
Shiite alliance that would go on to form the new government. Sadr and the
Communists campaigned together as Sairoon promoting reforming politics and
ending the ethnosectarian quota system that divides up every new
administration. Iranian pressure and status quo politics have seemingly won out
over election promises.
The next question is what this means for Sairoon. The
Communists were always a junior partner and only won
2 seats. There have been various tensions about what to do after the
election with some ICP members wanting to go into opposition. The Party has to
decide whether it will take that course and leave Sairoon or join the new
government.
SOURCES
Goran, Baxtiyar,
“Iraqi Communist Party: Sairoon, Fatih Coalition prevent country from serious
risks,” Kurdistan 24, 6/14/18
Iraq News Network,
“Civil current: sharp differences between the cadres of the Communist Party on
the Sadr-Al-Amiri alliance,” 6/14/18
- “The Communist
Party is considering withdrawing from Sairoon,” 6/14/18
Al Mada, “British
analyst: the protest movement broke the barrier of sectarianism and partisan
loyalty,” 6/2/18
Al Masalah,
“Communist Party shows its position on the alliance of Sadr and Amiri,” 6/14/18
Robin, Benedict,
“The Sadrist-Communist Alliance: Implications for Iraq’s Secular Politics,” The
London School of Economics and Political Science, Middle East Centre Blog,
6/6/18
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