News site: The return of violence and intimidation to Iraq's political life threatens societal peace

[size=52]News site: The return of violence and intimidation to Iraq's political life threatens societal peace[/size]

[size=45]Translation / Hamed Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]A report by The National news website stated that violence and political assassinations are on the rise in Iraq after parliamentary elections that took place in the country in October of last year, but officials say that the risk of a civil war remains far from expectations now.[/size]
[size=45]The Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Muhammad al-Halbousi, whose bloc is allied with the Sadrist movement, his house in Karma was attacked last Wednesday by three Katyusha rockets. This attack came after a series of grenade attacks against members of Parliament this year alone, as well as an assassination attempt that took place in November against Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, which injured six people.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Halbousi's alliance with al-Sadr will enable the latter to achieve the largest bloc in parliament capable of forming a government and choosing the next prime minister.[/size]
[size=45]Some of the other competing political parties had rejected the election results that were ratified by the Supreme Court in November, and after their attempts to file appeals of fraud and fraud in the absence of any evidence to support these allegations failed, they threaten to boycott the entire political process.[/size]
[size=45]Many fear that this may cause internal Shiite violence or strife, which will lead Iraq to the chaos that the country witnessed during the stage of sectarian violence between 2006 and 2009 and the stage of the emergence and decline of ISIS between 2012 and 2018.[/size]
[size=45]But despite this escalation of attacks, Iraqis who spoke to The National news site downplayed fears of a possible escalation of violence or reaching the stage of civil strife.[/size]
[size=45]Jaber al-Jabri, a member of parliament from Anbar province, said, "It is possible that there will be some violent activities, but it does not reach the stage of what happened in 2008, because no one wants to return to those difficult days."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Jabri said, "But it is possible that there are cases of violence that are interspersed with threatening messages between the competing parties."[/size]
[size=45]But his remarks contradict the statements of other politicians linked to blocs opposing the election results. Alia Nassif, a member of parliament from the State of Law coalition, warned of splits that might occur in the Shiite ranks.[/size]
[size=45]Nassif said in a statement, "I hold the Sunnis and the Kurds responsible for creating a schism among the Shiite parties, and they will not be immune from this damage if the schism expands."[/size]
[size=45]On the other hand, the headquarters and offices of Sunni and Kurdish parties in Baghdad in recent weeks have been attacked with explosives and grenades. On November 7, Prime Minister Al-Kazemi was subjected to an assassination attempt using drones carrying bombs, in which six people were wounded from his protection.[/size]
[size=45]The Sairoon Alliance, led by al-Sadr, had joined forces with the two largest Sunni parties, the Alliance of Progress and Azm, as well as with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, which will pave the way for the formation of the largest bloc in Parliament. This gives al-Sadr the right, according to the constitution, to appoint a prime minister and form a government, and this will increase his influence in the country, which is already characterized by strength.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sadr's statements have always emphasized his rejection of foreign interference in Iraq's internal affairs, repeatedly referring to the phrase "neither eastern nor western" in reference to Iranian or American interventions with their support for various political groups.[/size]
[size=45]Member of Parliament Al-Jabri said, "I think that the idea of ​​a civil war is not an idea between the political parties at the present time and does not exist." But the conflict now is between two parties. The first party calls for a majority government that includes the blocs that won the elections and some independents, and put an end to the quota system in forming the government.[/size]
[size=45]Previous Iraqi governments were accused of dividing the state through a sectarian quota system in distributing positions and ministries between different political parties and blocs to satisfy each party instead of focusing their attention on the interest of the people in general.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Jabri said, "As for the other party, it is the party that calls for a consensual government, as is the case with previous governments based on the principle of quotas."[/size]
[size=45]A Kurdish official, whose name was not mentioned, said that all parties are supposed to reach understandings regarding the formation of the next government and that they should consider the issue of the country's development as a priority.[/size]
[size=45]"I think that with our alliances, we will help us enter a new phase," he said. Since 2003, Iraq has been led by a government of an alliance that includes all parties in a consensual form, and this did not work for Iraq and did not achieve stability and development in the country.[/size]
[size=45]He said that he feared that the attacks might continue, but on a small scale, noting that an agreement might be reached between the other Shiite parties and Al-Sadr, but if that did not happen, the government might face many challenges.[/size]
[size=45]On the other hand, a military commander told The National news website, asking not to be named, that these attacks are of a political nature and will end as soon as a settlement is reached between the competing parties.[/size]
[size=45]He added, "We, as a military security force, do not intend to interfere in such political disputes, as this is something dangerous for societal peace." The government’s policy is to keep the security forces away from any political conflict.”[/size]
[size=45]It is noteworthy that the talks to form the government will continue during this week, and it is expected that other meetings will take place between the leaders of the main political blocs.[/size]
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