Little progress made in Iraqi government formation talks: MP

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - No major efforts have been made to breach Iraq's political barriers that are halting government formation efforts, a Coordination Framework MP told Rudaw on Wednesday while blaming the Sadrists for the deadlock suffocating the country.

"We have not discussed anything major, because the Sadrists do not want to reach an agreement with the Coordination Framework ... there is no understanding with the Sadrist bloc for forming the government," Fadhil Mawat told Rudaw’s Snur Majeed.

Mawat rebutted the Sadrists' claim that they hold the majority of seats in parliament, saying the "obstructing third" alongside the independent MPs hold more than 50 percent of parliamentary seats.

Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr last month ruled out the possibility of striking a deal with the Coordination Framework, accusing Iraqi politicians of having "become an example of corruption and vice."

Iraq held elections in October following demands from nationwide protests. However, eight months after the election, a new government is yet to be formed in the country due to political tensions.

Tensions between the Kurdish ruling parties also arose after both parties took opposing sides in the quest to form the government. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) joined forces in a tripartite alliance with the Sadrist bloc and the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) allied with the pro-Iran Shiite framework.

Discussions within the Kurdish house are "very important" for putting an end to Iraq's shattered political scene, Mawat continued, announcing an upcoming visit by the Coordination Framework delegation to meet with the KDP.

"If there was an understanding between the two Kurdish parties, it would have an impact on the political process and would result in an understanding between the Shiite blocs too," he explained.

He further called on the KDP to resolve differences with the framework’s ally, the PUK.

However, improving relations between the two Kurdish parties could take a hit when it comes to agreeing on a presidential candidate.

Masoud Haider, the senior advisor to KDP President Masoud Barzani, told Rudaw's Bestoon Othman on Wednesday that the KDP will not renounce their backing for Reber Ahmed to become the country's next president and that the decision is final.

Haider also contradicted Mawat's claims, instead saying the Shiites "are talking to each other, they are trying, it is possible at the end they find a way because the Shiites themselves are worried about the Iraqi streets blowing up in their face,” warning of a possibility of renewed protests filling the cities' streets.

"It will not be like ... the October protests, but it will become a big danger for the whole political system in Iraq," he stressed, ringing alarm bells that "they may not get out this time."

Iraqis took to the streets in October 2019 in massive protests against corruption and unemployment and called for the provision of basic services. The protests resulted in early elections, but the country's political future remains mired by instability with repeated government formation efforts failing.

The inability to form a government hinders the current caretaker cabinet from carrying out proper, long-term decisions to stabilize various sectors of the country, including its economy, following a clarification from Iraq's Federal Supreme Court last month addressing the current government's capabilities.