Agreed vs. disagreed with the foreign intervention, Iraqis hope to overcome the crisis
Shafaq News/ Despite the efforts of the two main Shiite poles, the Sadrist Movement and the Coordination Framework (CF), to avoid a civil war, Iraq has reached a dangerous turn, and things may become out of control.
While local and regional calls for calm and dialogue continue, political figures still refuse any foreign intervention, hoping to reach an internal solution to the current crisis.
The current political deadlock is considered one of the most extended crises in the modern Iraqi regime since the Iraqi lawmakers failed to elect a new president of the republic and form a new government.
Two entitlements of no concern to the leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada al-Sadr, who recently called for dissolving the new Parliament and holding early elections despite winning the highest number of parliamentary seats in the October 2021 elections.
In contrast, the Framework continues to push for resuming the Parliament sessions and forming a government headed by Muhammad Shia'a al-Sudani, a candidate unacceptable by Al-Sadr. Therefore, the Sadrist supporters organized demonstrations and sit-ins in and around the parliament building.
Hours later, supporters of Iran-backed groups opposed to Sadr rallied on the edge of the fortified Green Zone.
Then, the Caretaker Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, invited the rival political parties to meet to seek a solution to the political deadlock as disputes escalated.
Iraqi President Barham Salih, Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and leaders of Iraqi factions met and discussed political deadlock in the country.
Al-Sadr did not attend the meeting.
A statement issued by Al-Kadhimi's office said that the participants "expressed their commitment to finding a solution to all crises through dialogue to preserve the unity of Iraq, the security and stability of its people."
Amid those problems, the Coordination Framework relies on the visit of the head of the Al-Hikma Movement, Ammar Al-Hakim, to Saudi Arabia, as well as on any regional or international mediation.
"Al-Hakim enjoys a special position in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi parties appreciate him. Therefore the CF deemed the visit positive and welcomed any step that pushes the Iraqi political process to stability," Thaer Mukheef, a CF deputy, told Shafaq News Agency.
He added, "We blame most of the leaders of the Arab countries. They distanced themselves from the Iraqi conflict, while Iraq played major roles when those countries went through various crises."
In turn, a deputy of Takadum Alliance (led by Parliament Speaker Muhammad Al-Halboosi), Faisal Al-Issawi, stressed that "the current political crisis in Iraq is an "internal affair."
Al-Issawi ruled out that "Al-Hakim would call Riyadh to intervene."
"Some figures in the political scene in Iraq are working seriously to end the dispute between the Framework and the Sadrist…in the coming days; we hope to reach solutions without the others' intervention."
Faced with this cold reality, the Iraqis have only to wait to find out their fate, which is in the hands of the political class.
