Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki has created his own new political bloc, consisting of 40 (forty?!) political parties, his response to the new Shi‘ite based alliance.
Maliki is obviously trying to find a way to maintain power. I'm not sufficiently skilled on the internal Shi‘ite politics of the place to judge, but it's worth watching.
More later.
Friday, October 2, 2009
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Maliki's list, dawlat al-qanun or "State of Law" is a repeat of his bid in the provincial elections for support of the notion that he represents a strong central government without sectarian coloration. It is a major shift for a longtime leader of Da'wa. In effect, Maliki is appealing to the Iraqi nationalist sentiment favoring a strong leader who will be independent of Iran or, for that matter, any of the Arab or Western states. Think of a less autocratic, Shi'ite version of Saddam Hussein allied with an assortment of Sunni and tribal leaders seeking the benefits of state patronage. His only real opposition is the predominantly religious Shi'a coalition, misleadingly named the Iraqi National List. Given the choice, Maliki is preferable for U.S. interests. Iran would prefer a more malleable Shi'a Islamist coalition, and the two major Kurdish parties will probably also fear for their future in an Iraq headed by Maliki with a new mandate. Will Ayatollah Sistani express a preference?
The Saudi newspaper AlWatan quotes
Hadi AlJaburi, a leader in the Da'wa Party as encouraging the Government to open the field (majal) to participation by Ba'athists in the political system.
With another quote "Not all Ba'athists are criminals. A large part of them are loyal (mukhlisun) to their country"
http://www.alwatan.com.sa/news/newsdetail.asp?issueno=3291&id=119851&groupID=0
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