Seven month’s of political deadlock may be at an end in Iraq after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki gained the endorsement of a crucial Shiite bloc, which may end the stalemate in the fledgling Iraqi Parliament.
The move means that Maliki’s party, State Of Law, along with the Shiite bloc and its allies command 148 seats in the Parliament, needing only 15 more to have the majority needed to form government. Those 15 seats are expected to come from Kurdish MPs, so the political quagmire of the last seven months may be at an end.
If Maliki can succeed, he will win a victory over another former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Allawi won 91 seats in the last election, slightly more than Maliki’s 89, but Maliki’s move to form a coalition may see him win despite the lesser number of votes.
The endorsement came as a surprise to most as the Shiite bloc, the Sadrists, were previously vehemently opposed to Maliki. The negotiations began at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, however there still remains a number of items on the agenda before Iraq resumes anything close to a new government – parliament still has to convene and they still have to elect a president. Given that parliament has rarely convened since spring, there is a long road yet to travel.
The political situation in Iraq was of particular concern given that the US began its drawdown of troops, starting with the withdrawal of combat troops, in August.
