Barzani goes along with al-Sadr, but leaves the door ajar
Barzani goes along with al-Sadr, but leaves the door ajar
8-16-2022
The Kurdistan Democratic Party is very pragmatic with the political crisis in Iraq, with the escalation of tension between the coordination framework and the Sadrist movement, which threatens to get out of control, especially with the insistence of the movement’s leader Muqtada al-Sadr on his position on the settlement.
Erbil – The Kurdistan Democratic Party is keen to adopt a diplomatic language, avoiding expressing any decisive stances regarding support for this or that Shiite party, in a pragmatic approach that is, according to some, closer to opportunism in dealing with the political crisis that has erupted for months in Iraq.
Observers believe that the Democratic Party led by the Kurdish leader, Massoud Barzani, does not want to line up completely with any of the Shiite parties, waiting for the outcome of things to be clarified, although Barzani is showing a tendency to support his ally in “save the homeland” of the Sadrist movement, given that the balance is on the balance. So far, I’m leaning towards the latter in an arm-twisting operation that has turned into the street.
Observers point out that another motive that leads Barzani to take this path is his realization that identification with the coordination framework does not serve his ambitions to cut the lion’s share of the Kurdish pie, with regard to participation in the central authority in Baghdad, in light of the existing alliance between the framework and his Kurdish opponent. The National Union.
The meeting of Massoud Barzani and Hadi al-Amiri did not lead to any specific agreement regarding the relationship of the coordination framework and the Democratic Party
The head of the delegation of the Coordination Framework Alliance, Hadi Al-Amiri, concluded late Sunday evening talks with the Kurdish political parties regarding the political crisis in the country.
Al-Amiri, who also heads the “Al-Fatah” coalition, which forms the political umbrella for the militias loyal to Iran, had met in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, with the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the head of the regional government, Masrour Barzani, in two separate meetings to discuss ways to end the crisis, before moving to Sulaymaniyah.
Masoud Barzani said in a statement that the two sides exchanged views on the political situation, the latest developments and obstacles to the political process. He added that they stressed the need for the parties to take steps to solve problems and intensify their efforts to end the political crisis.
Masrour Barzani affirmed his support for all forms of negotiations based on the principle of acceptance of the other and the strengthening of confidence among all components of Iraq, according to a statement by the regional government.
On the other hand, Al-Amiri, who was assigned by the framework to lead negotiations with the Iraqi political forces, stressed the need for all Iraqi parties and components to rely on dialogue.
Al-Amiri carried an initiative from the coordination framework to Erbil as well as Sulaymaniyah in order to “sit all parties to the dialogue table, to find a legal and constitutional way out for the current political impasse, away from the tension.”
And local media quoted sources as saying that Hadi al-Amiri asked, during his meeting with the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, to mediate with Muqtada al-Sadr, in order to enter into a bilateral negotiation that brings together the Sadrist movement and the coordination framework.
One of the sources explained that the meeting of Barzani and al-Amiri did not lead to any specific agreement regarding the relationship of the coordination framework and the Democratic Party.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party joined early in an alliance with the Sadrist movement, which issued the results of the legislative elections that took place last October, in the hope that the Kurdish party would ensure control of various positions related to the Kurds, including the presidency, for which the Minister of Interior of the region, Riber Ahmed, was nominated.
These ambitions were dealt a severe blow after al-Sadr’s sudden decision to withdraw from the political process, and his parliamentary bloc of seventy-three deputies submitted its resignation from Parliament.
The Democratic Party waited waiting for the next step of the Sadrist movement, which did not take long, as the latter called on its supporters to take to the street in July due to the rejection of Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani, the framework candidate, who has a parliamentary majority, to head the next government.
The Kurdish party believed that the aim of the movement’s movement was to once again grasp the details of the political process from outside it, but Sadr had other accounts that were later revealed by his assertion earlier this month that the current parliament should be dissolved and calling for new legislative elections, as a condition for ending the crisis.
Al-Sadr’s demands shocked the Democratic Party, which fears that the winds of the upcoming elections will not come according to what its ships desire, but the party preferred to wait in expressing any position before it appeared a few days ago with a statement announcing its conditional approval.
Observers say that the Democratic Party believes that keeping pace with al-Sadr in this period is better, and it is betting on the positions of the rest of the political forces that have reservations about the conditions of the Shiite leader, and express their support for the coordination framework initiative.
Al-Amiri met in Sulaymaniyah with the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Bafel Talabani, and they discussed the latest developments and new initiatives to solve the problems facing the political process.
The party said in a statement that the two sides agreed to continue talks and constructive dialogue to overcome problems. Talabani stressed that his party welcomes any initiative that brings together all parties and aims to reach a national agreement and save the country from the current situation.
And Saturday, Al-Amiri met with Parliament Speaker Muhammad Al-Halbousi in Baghdad, where they discussed the political situation in the country, according to a statement by Al-Halbousi’s office.
Barzani realizes that identification with the coordination framework does not serve his ambitions to cut the lion’s share of the Kurdish pie
Observers rule out that Al-Amiri’s moves will bear fruit, as Al-Sadr insists on escalation in the street until his demands are fully implemented, regardless of the positions of the rest of the political forces, including allied forces, and this raises fears of an explosion in the situation in Iraq.
The leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Hoshyar Zebari, warned Monday of a civil war that may occur in Iraq unless it is prevented, while noting that the political tension between Shiite forces has reached its climax.
“Civil wars do not happen by leadership decisions, the Kurdish war in 1994 did not start with a decision by Messrs. Massoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani, but isolated and sporadic incidents of violence by field leaders were the reason,” Zebari wrote in a tweet.
He added that “the current political tension between the Shiite forces: the framework and the current, has reached its climax and must be prevented, and let us benefit from history.”
The leader of the Sadrist movement had set next Saturday evening as a date for the start of a peaceful demonstration in the capital, Baghdad, “unprecedented” in terms of numbers, at a time when supporters of the coordination framework sit in front of the walls of the Green Zone.
“After a lengthy discussion session with him (Muqtada al-Sadr), he focused on the upcoming demonstration being peaceful and unprecedented in terms of number,” said Saleh Muhammad al-Iraqi, nicknamed Minister of al-Sadr. He added, “It was decided to set a date for the demonstration next Saturday, with the gathering in Tahrir Square first at five o’clock in the afternoon, and then walking towards the Celebrations Square.”
rawabetcenter.com
