His sight set on a second term in office, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani has unveiled a new alliance to compete in the country’s national election later this year.
“We have placed the interest of Iraq and Iraqis first and foremost,” said a statement by the alliance on the parliamentary election due to take place on November 11, adding that it will “build on the significant strides that have been achieved” since Mr Al Sudani took office in October 2022.
The new Reconstruction and Development Coalition includes Mr Al Sudani’s Al Foratain Movement, The National Coalition led by former prime minister Ayad Allawi and The National Contract Coalition led by the chairman of the paramilitary Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) Falih Al Fayyadh, according to the statement. The US sanctioned Mr Al Fayyadh for his role in the quelling of pro-democracy protests in 2019 with the support of Iran’s Quds Force.
Other alliances include The Soumar Land alliance, which is led by the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Ahmed Al Asadi, The National Alliance of Solutions, led by one of the Prime Minister’s advisers, Mohammed Sahib Al Daraji, Karbala Creativity Alliance, and The Generations Gathering.
This year's election will be the sixth since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. The last one, brought forward in response to demands from a pro-reform protest movement that began in 2019 across central and southern Iraq, took place in October 2021.
Mr Al Sudani was the candidate for the Iran-aligned Co-ordination Framework – the largest political group in the Iraqi parliament, with 138 out of 329 seats and consisting of Iran-backed political parties and armed factions.
Since taking office, political and security stability has encouraged his government to launch a series of infrastructure projects and to introduce reforms to improve the country's business environment and public services. Several mega deals have been signed with major international companies as well as countries, mainly in the field of energy.
“Our goals include sustainable reconstruction, economic growth, infrastructure development; and strengthening security, stability and international relations,” the statement added.
Bitter rivalry among political elites, mainly among the country’s majority Shiites, delayed the process of forming a government for a year, after the October 2021 election.
Shiite cleric and political leader Moqtada Al Sadr's efforts to form the government failed, despite his Sadrist bloc winning 73 of the 329 seats in parliament. His desire to form a majority government only with Sunni and Kurdish parties upset his rivals in the Co-ordination Framework.
In June 2022, Mr Al Sadr ordered his MPs to resign from parliament and withdraw from the country's political process until it was purged of what he described as “the corrupt”. There have been no indications yet about whether or not Mr Al Sadr will take part in the November election.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The%20specs
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The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
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Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m
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Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
