Six challenges facing Adel Abdul-Mahdi

Author: Lecturer. Methaq. M. Al-Issawi

Center for strategic studies/ Political Studies Department

Translated by: Hiba Abbas Mohammed Ali

Reviewed by: Lecturer. Hussain B Abdulameer

2018

After tensions between the Iraqi political parties and the political struggle inside and outside the parliament. The parliament managed to elect “Barham Saleh” as president of the Republic of Iraq for the coming four years.

The president assigned “Adil Abdul Mahdi” to form the next government after the Shiite political forces agree on him, Abdul-Mahdi one of the calm political characters, slight appearance on the media, his exact specialization in the economy, moreover, Abdul Mahdi is one of the characters which have a political acceptance within all political parties that leading the political process, because that he calm and have a moderated political speech, despite his political affiliation to the Supreme Islamic Council. The task of appointing “Abdul Mahdi” in the selection of the next Iraqi government may let him facing a real challenges, his government cannot succeed -if he is able to form it within a constitutional period- without form it with a serious reforms. At the forefront of these challenges are six key challenges, including:-

• Responsibility in the selection of ministerial cabin, as this is a point of failure shared by all the previous Iraqi governments after 2003. All the heads of previous governments were unable to overcome the political forces and parties when they selecting their ministerial cabin, or to take into account the good choice and specialization in the selection of the minister, especially with regard to the ministries of security and service; This is therefore the first indicator of the success or failure of the government. The next prime minister should lay the foundation stone by announcing his responsibility in the selection of ministerial cab with the beginning of the formation of the Iraqi government, with emphasis on the field of specialization (the right man in the right place).

• Fighting corruption; corruption in Iraq may be the largest scourge that is equivalent to terrorism, or it may exceed it in terms of risks and challenges. This is because of its penetration into all areas and joints of the Iraqi state and at all levels. Therefore, the next prime minister in charge of forming the new Iraqi government, with the assistance of local and international experts, with the involvement of international teams and organizations to combat this serious scourge.

• Limit arms in the  state hand ,   This challenge is one of the biggest and most serious challenges that define the features and future of the Iraqi state, since no government can take its natural place and place locally, regionally and internationally with the existence of armed factions sharing power. This challenge is not only related to the Shiite factions, The Peshmerga forces, the popular crowd, the Sunni factions, clans members and the Iraqi clans themselves, which at times parallels the authority of the state and the law. It is impossible to talk about the modern nation state and the rule of law in light of the spread of powers parallel to the authority of the state in (security, education and services).

4-Neutralizing the judiciary and amending the constitution, one of the basic problems that undermine the former Iraqi government is the   politicization

of the  Iraqi judiciary and intervenes in its disputes and its involvement  in the  political conflict, Perhaps the Iraqi judiciary is a partner in the process of delaying the formation of Iraqi governments after 2010, by interpreting (the Federal Court’s interpretation) of the largest bloc after the 2010 elections. Moreover, the existence of some legal gaps in the articles of the Constitution and its paragraphs, allows the Iraqi political forces and parties to exploit the Constitution in their political struggle, especially the articles and paragraphs that are still the subject of controversy continues so far. Therefore, giving the judiciary sufficient supervisory authority in the field of monitoring and account will restore the necessary confidence to the Iraqi state and enable it to return the stolen Iraqi funds over the past years.

• Determining the features of the relationship with the Kurdistan Region in the light of the Constitution, the relationship of the region with the central government of the major problems facing the Iraqi decision-maker, especially with adoptingrelay the crises policy of crisis and the breadth of political controversy in previous governments; and through overlapping powers in the field of (security, economy, Not only in the context of disagreement over disputed areas.

• NeutralizationIraq from the policy of axes (regional and international). This neutralization may be in two ways complementing one another. First, through what we have mentioned in the third challenge (limiting arms within the state hand), that is to say, to working on unofficial political disengagement for some armed factions and leaders of popular mobilization with some regional states. Second, by activating Iraqi diplomacy in its various fields and placing the interest of Iraq as a top priority for diplomacy.

Finally, we can put these six challenges at the top of the set of challenges that will face “Abdul Mahdi” cabinet, starting with the cabinet selection process and the formation of the government. The responsibility for ministerial cabinet selection will be the first step in overcoming and addressing these challenges. In parallel, there must be revitalization of all joints of the state in the area of ​​(services, security, economy, health and education) and the advancement of the country’s infrastructure, and the removal of economic bodies of political parties from the field of reconstruction and investment. So, will Mr. Adel Abdul Mahdi be able to win a bet to overcome the power of political parties or will facing another government failure scenario?