Major Sunni and Kurdish political parties in Iraq will this month lead fresh efforts to end the country’s prolonged political impasse over forming a new government, legislators said on Tuesday.
The country has been in political stalemate since the national election in last October, the fifth parliamentary vote for a full-term government since the US-led invasion in 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein.
The main quarrel is among the two largest Shiite groups over who will form the government and how to divide critical posts, including ministerial positions.
The process ground to a halt when a political group endorsed by Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr resigned from Parliament, seeking to dissolve the legislative body and hold snap elections.
But the rival Co-ordination Framework, an umbrella group dominated by pro-Tehran factions, wants a government in place before any new vote can be held. Complicating matters, some within the framework are opposed to a new vote, including former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki, Mr Al Sadr's arch rival.
This week, the impasse entered a new phase with the majority of political parties calling on the reconvening of Parliament before a new election can be held — an act that could end the deadlock or reignite violent Sadrist protests.
Mr Al Sadr’s Sunni and Kurdish allies — the Sovereignty Alliance headed by Mohammad Al Halbousi, the Speaker of Parliament, and Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party — on Sunday agreed with the Co-ordination Framework that politicians must return to a constitutional process of forming government, despite calls from Mr Al Sadr to quit Parliament.
In a joint statement, Mr Al Halbousi and Mr Barzani reaffirmed their support for early elections and their rejection of dissolving Parliament. Each party made significant gains in the 2021 vote.
“Both sides stressed the necessity of holding early elections after preparing the legal requirements according to the constitution preceded by the formation of the government,” said the statement.
They say it is important to keep the current Parliament intact until early elections, a position Mr Al Sadr and Mr Al Maliki consider unpalatable.
But on Monday, the framework welcomed their stance, saying it would "continue dialogue with all the parties ... to form a government endowed with full powers".
In a separate statement, it claimed to have reached "understandings with the national forces", saying it would keep its candidate for the post of prime minister — Mohammed Shia Al Sudani — despite Mr Al Sadr’s objection.
Large-scale Sadrist demonstrations erupted when the framework nominated Mr Al Sudani, a former minister close to Mr Al Maliki.
Karim Abu Souda. a politician affiliated to the Sovereignty Alliance, said his group's latest stance did not entail siding with the Co-ordination Framework against Mr Al Sadr.
He said a senior delegation would visit Mr Al Sadr after the Arbaeen pilgrimage to discuss the government formation process, without giving more details.
The religious event marks the end of the 40 days of mourning after the anniversary of the killing of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein at the battle of Karbala in 680AD. The grieving period ends on Saturday.
“It’s impossible to form a government without political consensus and political understandings are essential to solve the current crisis,” Mr Abu Souda said.
Another Sunni politician, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Mr Al Halbousi, the President of Kurdistan Region, Nechervan Barzani, and senior Co-ordination Framework leader, Hadi Al Amiri, would be among those attending the meeting.
Mr Al Sadr wants not only to dissolve Parliament, but also to keep the current Prime Minster Mustafa Al Kadhimi and President Barham Salih in office to oversee the early elections, he said.
“But the Co-ordination Framework doesn’t want Al Kadhimi any more,” he said.
Mr Al Sadr said “the delegation could push for another nominee for the prime minister post who’s accepted by Al Sadr as a comprise”.
Green Zone violence
Iraq's latest crisis culminated at the end of August with Mr Al Sadr's supporters clashing with the army and the Iran-backed factions after weeks of protest around Parliament in the Green Zone of Baghdad.
More than 30 of the cleric's supporters were killed and hundreds wounded in nearly 24 hours of violence that ended when he called on his supporters to pull out, demanding an end even to peaceful protests.
Under Iraq's constitution, Parliament can only be dissolved by an absolute majority vote in the house, after a request by one-third of deputies, or by the prime minister with the approval of the president.
This month, Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court dismissed a lawsuit to dissolve Parliament filed separately by the Sadrists and the independent Waie Movement.
It said it had no power to do so and that politicians have to consider the mechanism mentioned in the constitution.
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C600rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C500-4%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.9L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh119%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
