Parliamentary paralysis
Patrick Cockburn
Friday, July 04, 2014
From Print Edition
The Iraqi parliament closed its inaugural session after two hours because political parties have not decided on new leaders to seek a way out of the crisis caused by the fall of Mosul and the takeover of much of northern and western Iraq last month by Isis.
The likely outcome of the first sessions of the new parliament chosen in an election on 30 April will be the replacement of Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister since 2006, who has been discredited by military disasters.
Many Iraqis see his image as a sectarian Shia leader hated by most of the Sunni community, as ruling out any role for him in any compromise with the Sunni.
The wrangling by the parties over who should be the new parliamentary speaker (normally a Sunni), president (a Kurd) and prime minister (Shia) may confirm Iraqis in their low opinions of the competence and honesty of MPs. “The parties are all corrupt and all they want to do is steal,” said Abu Ali, a trade ministry employee, about the new parliament. “…The Iraqi people can go to hell for all they care.”
Few Iraqis are optimistic about their representatives or are hopeful that they can cope with the present crisis. Saleh Daoud, a small businessman, said: “People say that 70 to 75 percent of the old faces are back in the new parliament so there is no real change. There will be the same corruption and no services for the people.”
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-9-259800-Parliamentary-paralysis
