The new prime minister of Iraq forms months of government after the election
The new prime minister of Iraq forms months of government after the election
BAGHDAD: Iraq's new prime minister was sworn in on Wednesday night after lawmakers approved the majority of his cabinet, overcame the first test of his leadership and gave a government to the country five months after the elections.
The parliament approved 14 of the 22 ministers appointed by Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi after a four-hour session that lawmakers threatened to interrupt and said they needed more time to examine the candidates because some were suspected of corruption or could have false titles. Several key positions, including Interior and Defense, have not yet been agreed upon.
Analysts said the alignment indicated that power had been distributed on the same basis that has resulted in corruption and poor governance, suggesting that the next Iraqi government is unlikely to deliver the change demanded by the people.
The session highlighted the challenges Mr. Abdul-Mahdi faces in fixing a dysfunctional political system while reviewing Iraq's difficult economy that relies on oil and reconstructs the infrastructure destroyed in the war against the Islamic State. Iraqi security forces must also avoid the resurgence of the extremist group, which has been regrouping in northern Iraq while politicians were fighting in Baghdad.
Mr. Abdul-Mahdi, a 76-year-old independent Shiite, was nominated earlier this month to form the country's next government in early November, following a compromise between competing factions backed by the United States and Iran that ended with the months of subsequent maneuvers. An inconclusive election in May.
The United States, which invested billions of dollars in the war against the Islamic State, did not want to see the formation of the Iraqi government dictated by Iran's allies. For Iran, having a friendly government next door is crucial, as the country is under increasing pressure from Washington and its allies.
The presidency of Iraq is reserved for the country's Shiite majority, while the president is a Kurd and the speaker of parliament is a Sunni under a complex political system that took shape after the US-led invasion in 2003. Those positions are generally They have been occupied by quasi pro-quo agreements between different parties, which include sharing ministries and using them for sponsorship.
But protracted discussions about the formation of the government left unresolved many of the country's enormous problems, from poor government services and corruption to the development of infrastructure and security, provoking violent protests against the entire political class. That public anger finally prompted rival factions to agree on the former deputy prime minister and oil minister as the country's next leader.
Mr. Abdul-Mahdi accepted the position of prime minister on the condition that he was given a free hand to elect his own ministers according to their abilities, rather than political affiliation, as has been the case previously. Although most of the ministers proposed by Mr. Abdul-Mahdi were not prominent members of the political parties as they had been in the past, analysts said that their affiliations indicated that they had not been able to break the mold where the political parties divide the parties. ministries among them.
"From all this we can conclude that Adel Abdul-Mahdi was not free to choose his cabinet and that he was subject to nominations and political and partisan pressures," said Iraqi analyst Hisham al-Hashimi.
Earlier in the session, parliament also approved Mr. Abdul-Mahdi's government program, which defined goals such as combating corruption and eliminating bureaucracy.
The veteran politician does not have much time to prove himself: anger is building against the political class while ordinary Iraqis struggle with poor government services.
If there is no tangible improvement for the start of next summer, it is almost certain that the Abdul-Mahdi government will face protests like those that finally defeated its predecessor, Haider al-Abadi. At the same time, the re-imposition of the Trump administration's sanctions on Iran next month is ready to put Iraq in an even more difficult position.
Even the champions of Mr. Abdul Mahdi are wondering if he has the political skills to succeed.
"Adel was always the best prime minister Iraq never had," said Emma Sky, a former adviser to the US military in Iraq. "The question, of course, is whether it can meet?"
Write to Isabel cabbages in isabel.coles@wsj.com
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