Back To Square One In Forming New Iraqi Government

After Iyad Allawi and his Iraqi National Movement claimed that they had made a breakthrough in forming a new government, facilitated by reports that talks between Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law and the Sadrist-Supreme Council led Iraqi National Alliance had broken down, everything appears back to square one. A member of the Iraqi Accordance Front said that the negotiations between Allawi and Maliki were simply to pressure the National Alliance. Now a State of Law official said that they would go back to talking with the National Alliance after a two-week hiatus. Tehran’s new point man on Iraq, speaker of the Iranian parliament Ali Larijani, is also due to arrive in Baghdad soon to pressure the two to work out their differences and name a candidate for prime minister. Iran helped push State of Law and the Iraqi National Alliance to merge together in the first place.

As always, Maliki is the main barrier to forming a new government. He insists that he return as prime minister, which is opposed by almost all the other parties. The negotiations with the Iraqi National Alliance and the Iraqi National Movement have gone nowhere because of him, while the Kurds are largely staying on the sidelines willing to support any coalition that emerges that will agree to their demands. Maliki has the luxury of being able to drag out the process because he still holds onto his office. That means four months after Iraq’s election, the country’s politicians are still no closer to forming a government.

SOURCES

AK News, “Accordance List Leader: “State of Law use Al-Iraqiya to wage pressure on other blocs.”” 7/17/10

Alsumaria, “Larijani to meet Iraqi officials,” 7/16/10

Aswat al-Iraq, “Iran’s presence in Iraq relies on NC’s existence – Shiite source,” 7/17/10