Iraq set to elect new president as vote paves way for deeper Iranian influence
Iraq’s parliament will vote Tuesday to elect a new president, a largely ceremonial role that will nonetheless shape the country’s political future by naming the next prime minister
Iraq's parliament will elect a new President on Tuesday, in a vote that is likely to reshape Baghdad's delicate balancing act between U.S. and Iranian influence. Traditionally in Iraq, the President is a Kurd, the Prime Minister a Shia Muslim, and the Speaker of Parliament a Sunni Muslim.
Out of 19 candidates, the frontrunners are Fuad Hussein, the current Foreign Minister and prominent leader in the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Nizar Amedi of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, who enjoys the backing of former Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani.
But the role of president in Iraq is mainly ceremonial. The true power lies with the Prime Minister, who under Iraq's constitution is named by the President. And this is where things get interesting.
After thorough and extensive discussion, the Coordination Framework decided by majority vote to nominate Nouri al-Maliki for the position of Prime Minister, as the candidate of the largest parliamentary bloc, based on his political and administrative experience and his role in managing the state.
With the nomination by Iraq's largest political bloc, the appointment of al-Maliki as Prime Minister is all but certain. Al-Maliki first served as prime minister in 2006, and is the only Iraqi prime minister to serve a second term since a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
His selection now is likely to be polarizing, as Al-Maliki has been accused of opening Iraq's political system to deep Iranian influence, supporting the Assad regime and pursuing internal policies that weakened Iraq's security institutions, paving the way for the rise of ISIS.
And this week's endorsement by Iran's Supreme Leader leaves no room for doubt where Al-Maliki's allegiance lies. The endorsement came with its reasons, considering that al-Maliki has the ability to deal with the existing files in the face of mounting challenges and pressure coming from the United States.
The U.S. has been pushing for Iraq to disarm Iran-backed groups — a difficult proposition, given the political power that many of them hold and Iran's opposition to such a step. And following the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, U.S. leverage on Baghdad is waning, much to Iran's delight.
The end of the US-led coalition's mission in Iraq and the evacuation of al-Asad airbase by American forces and handing over the base to Iraqi forces, is another sign of Iraq's independence, stability and political sovereignty, and we are very happy to see this.
In an attempt to salvage what little influence Washington has left, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, ahead of Tuesday's vote.
Rubio raised concerns about foreign influence in Iraqi politics, stressing that, quote, "a government controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq’s own interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts, or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq."
But this might be too little too late. If under the current Prime Minister there was a guise of a balancing act between Washington and Tehran, under al-Maliki there will be no more facade, but rather full Iranian influence.