News

Iraq’s House of Cards: The Primary Mission

Jun 23 2014
Iraq
Source: 
New Yorker Blog

On Friday, a new report by the International Crisis Group, an independent research and policy institute, bluntly warned of both the political and military challenges in Iraq. Under Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the report declared, “Parliament has been rendered toothless, independent state agencies shorn of their powers. Ministries, to an unprecedented extent, have become bastions of nepotism and other forms of corruption; the severely politicized judiciary represents anything but the ‘rule of law,’ with even the Supreme Court doing the government’s bidding.”

Maliki stands with Sunni leaders, appealing for Iraqi unity

Jun 18 2014
Iraq
Source: 
Reuters

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki broadcast a joint appeal for national unity on Tuesday with bitter Sunni critics of his Shi'ite-led government - a move that may help him win U.S. help against rampant Islamists threatening Baghdad.

Just hours after Maliki's Shi'ite allies had angrily vowed to boycott any cooperation with the biggest Sunni party and his government had accused Sunni neighbor Saudi Arabia of backing "genocide", the premier's visibly uncomfortable televised appearance may reflect U.S. impatience with its Baghdad protege.

Iraqi political leaders call for national unity

Jun 18 2014
Iraq
Source: 
Al Arabiya News

Iraqi Shi’ite and Sunni political leaders made a joint call for national unity on Tuesday after a closed-door meeting called after a week of sectarian violence that saw Sunni militants seize northern cities.

The leaders, including Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shi’ite, and Sunni Usama al-Nujaifi, the last speaker of parliament which dissolved this month, stood apart and listened as Maliki’s predecessor Ibrahim al-Jafaari called for “defending the state and protecting its sovereignty and dignity.”

Iraq's Supreme Court ratifies election results

Jun 16 2014
Iraq
Source: 
Daily Sabah

Iraq's supreme court ratified the results of the April 30 parliamentary elections on Monday.

"The court has approved the results of the elections except for four candidates who have ongoing trials against them," Supreme Judicial Council spokesperson Abdul Sattar Bayraktar told Anadolu Agency.

The State of Law bloc led by Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki won the the parliamentary elections, taking 92 of the 328 seats.

Predominantly Shia al-Muwatin ended up with 29 seats, while the Mutahidoun bloc of Sunni Muslims got 23 seats.

Anbar PC calls government to postpone holding national conference over Anbar

Jun 06 2014
Iraq
Source: 
Iraqi News

Anbar Provincial Council called the government to postpone holding the national conference called for by the Premier, Nouri al-Maliki, till settling the crisis in Anbar.

The Chairman of Anbar PC, Sabah Karhout, stated in a press statement received by IraqiNews.com “We call the Federal Government to postpone holding the national conference over Anbar because we are about to settle its crisis.”

 

Kurdish zone won’t take part in election

May 30 2014
Iraq
Source: 
The Daily Star Lebanon

An official from the Kurdish zone Thursday said the regime would not set up polling stations in “Syrian Kurdistan.”

Ilham Ahmad, from the Democratic Society Movement, said Kurdish groups would deal only with “powers that recognize” their rights, according to the Kurdnet news site.

Ahmad, whose party is one of a half-dozen that rule the self-rule zone along the Turkish border, was asked about the poll, expected to be won by President Bashar Assad.

A case for elections without borders

May 29 2014
Iraq
Source: 
Gulf News

People of this region have been busy over the last few months voting in many elections — parliamentary, local, presidential and referenda. Yet, most of it seems predetermined with no surprises in results. Though elections in other parts of the world, especially in established democracies, are witnessing declining turnout of voters, people’s participation in elections in the region is on the rise. This is not only due to the region’s thirst for democracy, but is in part a by-product of the so-called Arab Spring witnessed more than three years ago.

Uncertainty as Iraq election results revealed

May 26 2014
Iraq
Source: 
Al Jazeera

Iraq's incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's apparent victory in parliamentary elections at the end of April has given him a leading role in forming the next government, but it will not necessarily secure him a third term in office.

On Monday, Iraq's electoral results were published in national newspapers. The tally was accompanied by a warning that only three days remain to lodge electoral disputes. The results will be considered final when the Iraqi High Electoral Commission, and the country's High Court, have addressed the accusations of impropriety.

Sistani keeps distance from Iraqi election politics

May 20 2014
Iraq
Source: 
Al Monitor

Is Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani adopting a dual stance in dealing with Iraqi political issues? Does he have announced as well as unannounced views? What stand did he take vis-à-vis last month's Iraqi elections? Was he as neutral as the civil democracy (which he is still calling for) requires or has he taken the side of one party, contradicting his announced democratic principles?

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