Iraq's militias are struggling to get a grip on political power after affiliated nominees for key cabinet positions were rejected by parliament.
Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's nominee for interior minister was Falih Al Fayadh, the former chairman of the Hashed Al Shaabi paramilitaries, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMUs), while Asma Al Kildani, whose brother Rayan Kildani is the head of the Christian "Babylon Brigade", was nominated to head the justice ministry.
They were among the eight of Mr Abdul Mahdi's 22 cabinet picks who were rejected by parliament in a vote late on Wednesday, underscoring the discord plaguing Iraqi politics.
Parliament will vote on fresh candidates for the key posts of defence, justice and interior next week.
Mr Abdul Mahdi, who was elected by parliament last month, is widely seen as a capable technocrat with no affiliation to any party and a reputation for secularism. Yet, if all of his ministerial nominations were passed then Iraq would have seen an expansion of militia presence in government.
The militias were formed in 2014 after Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, urged citizens to take up arms against ISIS militants who had swept aside government forces and seized control of much of northern Iraq. Many of the militias are under Iranian influence after being trained and financed by Iran.
An electoral bloc formed by militia leader Hadi Al Amiri came second in May's parliamentary elections, yet their participation in politics remains controversial as their leaders are seen as proxies of Iran.
"The Hashed has always had political power, Hadi Al Amiri has been one of the main political actors guiding the government formation. So, they are very much part of the political process, said Renad Mansour, senior research fellow at Chatham House.
The main issue is how strong and capable the new prime minister and ministers will be in pursuing their goals, he said.
"The parliament seems to be fragmented: a lot of MPs are dissenting, there’s no party discipline. These new dynamics are going to attempt to spoil the backroom deals that the main political parties like to have."
The PMUs may be facing a struggle to get their hands on power, but Fatah has not given up, said Kirk Sowell, an Iraq expert with Utica Risk Services.
"They failed to get their main candidate, Falih Al Fayad, passed last night. In fact he was their fallback after they were pushing a member of their own party, Abd Al Karim Al Ansari. The other candidate close to the Hashed, Asma Al Kildani, for the justice ministry, also failed," Mr Sowell told The National.
But the next government must its strengthen security ministries to become less dependent on semi-autonomous armed groups, the International Crisis Group warned in a report.
"The Hashed are becoming a part of the challenge of rebuilding a state dismantled after the US-led invasion of 2003," the ICG report said.
The PMUs are part of the state’s security apparatus under Iraqi law, but they are also recognised as an autonomous unit under the civilian National Security Council. They are exploiting a legal grey zone to expand their reach in the security, political and economic spheres, the report said.
For the time being, leaders of the PMUs are trying to maintain control by influencing the appointment of ministers to the security ministries, said Harith Hassan, a non-resident senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center.
"They are allying with the main Sunni factions, hoping to influence the future minister of defence, who will be appointed by Sunni groups," Mr Hassan told The National.
Since Mr Abdul Mahdi's does not have a political coalition backing him, his government is likely to be weak. His premiership was the result of an agreement between Mr Al Amiri's Fatah and the Sairoon bloc led by populist cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, whose relations are tense.
An MP from the Al Wataniya block led by outgoing vice president Ayad Allawi said the militias "manipulated the elections and have managed to penetrate the parliament because of their lack of the integrity”.
"Their dominance is sheer and has been manifested in the dictation of ministerial posts for key ministries," the member told The National.
The ICG report said the challenge the militias pose in Iraq will not be overcome easily, and they are likely to remain a significant military, political and economic actor in the country's post-ISIS phase.
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Read more:
Iraq forms new government, five months after elections
Tens of thousands seek posts in Iraqi cabinet
Iraq PM designate Adel Abdul Mahdi met with cautious optimism
Iraq offers citizens opportunity to apply online for cabinet positions
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
MORE ON IRAN'S PROXY WARS
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match
Ireland (15-1):
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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AIR
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Napoleon
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more about the coronavirus
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
