Friday, June 15, 2018

Communist Anger At Sadr-Amiri Alliance


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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