Page 11 - MEOG Week 15

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Iraq’s head of intelligence named third PM-designate this year
irAq
PRESIDENT Barham Salih has nominated head of intelligence Mustafa al-Kadhimi as Iraq’s new prime minister-designate, the politically frag- mented nation’s third choice in the space of 10 weeks, and the political uncertainty had threat- ened a leadership vacuum at a time that Iraq can least afford it, amid a severe economic crisis and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The nomination on Thursday came moments after predecessor Adnan al-Zurfi ended his bid to form a government.
“With my mandate to lead the Iraqi govern- ment, I pledge to my honourable people to work to form a government that puts the aspirations and demands of Iraqis as the top priority,” al-Ka- dhimi tweeted shortly after his appointment was announced.
A ceremony was attended by the country’s top political figures, indicating widespread sup- port for al-Kadhimi, 53, that neither of the pre- vious prime minister-designates had enjoyed. That backing was the result of a flurry of political meetings over the past week aimed at a reaching consensus on al-Kadhimi.
Among them were gatherings attended by Iranian General Esmail Qaani, who has headed Iran’s elite Quds Force foreign operations unit after the US assassinated his predecessor, Qas- sem Soleimani, in an air strike in Baghdad in January.
Tehran wields vast political and military influence in Iraq, and its approval is seen as nec- essary for any prime ministerial candidate. Pro- Iran factions staunchly opposed the nomination of al-Zurfi to the premiership, which ultimately forced the politician to withdraw his candidacy.
In a statement on his Facebook page, al-Zurfi said: “The failure to form a new government was the cause of domestic and foreign issues. But that will not prevent me from continuing to serve the people through my current parliamentary posi- tion. “I will continue to work and prepare for early elections in order to complete our national project.”
Before al-Zurfi, former minister Mohammad Allawi was also unable to put together a cabinet. In the interim, Iraq’s caretaker prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi - who resigned in December following months of anti-government protests -
continued to lead the cabinet.
Al-Kadhimi, meanwhile, has long had close
links with the United States, but political sources said he has also improved ties with Iran in recent months. He now has 30 days to submit his cab- inet lineup to the 329-member parliament for a
vote of confidence.
Iraqi officials with knowledge of the back-
room deals that led to al-Kadhimi’s nomination said he had agreed not to intervene in the affairs of the country’s militias, some of which have strong ties to Iran, in return for the support of Shiite Muslim political blocs that had scuppered the candidacy of two previous prime minister nominees. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity owing to the sensitivity of the situation.
Al-Kadhimi has ascended to the role at a challenging time for Iraq, now facing a budget crisis brought on by the collapse of world oil prices and the spread of coronavirus.
Ordinary Iraqis have expressed anger at the failure of authorities to tackle the twin crises.
“If they keep going with their conflicts - ‘We want this, we want that’ - there will never be a government. because all parties want to fill the post with one of their own,” said Baghdad resi- dent Iman Khodr.
It remains to be seen if the new prime min- ister-designate will be able to get a government approved in 30 days.
Challenges ahead
The challenges Iraq will face are more tangled and extensive than at any point in the country’s recent history.
As doctors work overtime to contain the coronavirus crisis, government officials must work out how to steer the economy away from a financial calamity that could spark even larger and angrier protests than those that felled the country’s last premier.
“The corona and oil price crisis was a major fear for the Iraqi political establishment,” said Renad Mansour, a research fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Pro- gramme. Their only way forward was to agree on al-Kadhimi, a man “who promises to play by the rules of the game.”
Iraq relies on oil sales for 90% of its revenue and has no clear plan to make up for the shortfall of billions of dollars that tanking global prices will likely spark. Among other things, this would make it impossible for the government to cover the wage bill for some 3mn employees.
In one of his final interviews before stepping aside, al-Zurfi laid the problem out in the stark- est of terms.
“Next month, we won’t be able to secure half of the salaries,” he told Iraqi state television. “You will experience true suffering.”™
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