Sayirun, Fatih may soon resolve deadlock over Interior Ministry

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The two largest Shiite blocs in the Iraqi parliament will soon meet to sort out the problem of the Ministry of the Interior, finally ending an impasse that has prevented the Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi from completing his cabinet.

The Sayirun alliance of Muqtada al-Sadr and Haider al-Abadi has formed a committee with the Fatih alliance of Hadi al-Amiri and Nouri al-Maliki, Fatih MP Mohammed Kareem Abdulhassan told Rudaw.

“In the coming days, there will be a meeting between the Sayirun and Fatih alliances. In it, the names of qualified individuals to take over the Interior portfolio will be put forth,” Abdulhassan added.

Sayirun topped the polls in Iraq’s 2018 parliamentary elections, followed by the Fatih alliance that includes parties backed by the Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary.

The two alliances are on opposites sides and were in competition over the formation of the government. For prime minister, they eventually settled on a compromise candidate – the independent Abdul-Mahdi.

However, they still disagree over the post of Minister of the Interior. Fatih put forward their man, the current national security advisor Falih al-Fayadh.

Sayirun’s Sadr has resisted Fayadh’s nomination, insisting that technocrats should head the security establishment. Fayadh had been fired as national security advisor by former PM Abadi after he allegedly got involved in politics. He was reinstated under a blanket ruling that revoked Abadi’s decisions made during the transition period between the two governments.

The Sayirun-Fatih dispute means Abdul-Mahdi has not been able to complete his cabinet, more than three months after being sworn in.

Abdulhassan is optimistic they can resolve the problem.

“As of now, there are no alternative names, but based on the meeting to be held with the Sayirun alliance, an agreement satisfactory to all sides will be reached,” he said.

In the post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, ministries and positions have been shared out via a quota system. The Ministry of Interior has been held by a Shiite, while a Sunni commands the Ministry of Defence.

Sunnis are similarly divided over who should be Minister of Defence.

The Wataniyah coalition of Ayad Allawi, prominent Sunni politician Osama al-Nujaifi, and other smaller Sunni parties have complained that the other Sunni bloc, the National Axis Alliance that is allied with Fatih, has taken over all the positions that are the Sunni share, without consulting them.

The National Axis Alliance calls itself the sole representative of Sunnis. They chose the speaker of the parliament.

The Fatih MP Abdulhassan said the National Axis Alliance is “engaged in broad discussions with the rest of the blocs to settle on nominating a qualified personality for handling the Defence portfolio.”

Talks do not appear to be making progress, however.

A third ministry is also still vacant. The Ministry of Justice is part of the Kurdish share. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are arguing over who will get the post.

Sayirun, Fatih may soon resolve deadlock over Interior Ministry

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