TOPIC OF THE DAY:-
“Iraq Government Formation: Muqtada’s Turn”?
The Iraqi Supreme Court’s ratification of the results of the May 12 parliamentary election has set the stage for government formation. After claims of widespread irregularities during voting, Iraqi lawmakers had ordered a recount. The only change after the recount is that the Al-Fatah bloc, which had come second with 47 seats, now has 48, gaining one from the Baghdad Coalition. The Sairoon Alliance led by firebrand Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remains the largest bloc with 54 seats, while incumbent Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s Victory Alliance has 42. Now that the results are official, lawmakers have about 90 days to elect a Prime Minister. The MPs must elect the Speaker in the first session of Parliament. Within 30 days they are to elect, with a two-thirds majority, the next President. The President will then, within 15 days, ask the largest coalition’s representative to form the government. The Prime Minister-designate will have 30 days to come back to Parliament to approve a Cabinet, with each member required to be approved by a majority vote. If this process fails, the President has 15 more days to invite another candidate to be Prime Minister. A workable coalition will need the support of 165 MPs in the 329-member House. For now, four Shia blocs — Mr. Sadr’s Sairoon that includes the Sadrist movement and the Iraqi Communist Party; Mr. Abadi’s Victory Alliance; Shia cleric Ammar al-Hakim’s National Wisdom Movement; and secularpolitician Ayad Allawi’s Wataniyah — have formed a grand alliance. This Shia coalition has the support of about 140 lawmakers, and has sought support from other parties. The second largest bloc, Hadi al-Amiri’s pro-Iran Fatah Alliance, is yet to join hands with Mr. Sadr. During the campaign, Mr. Sadr had attacked the growing influence of the U.S. and Iran in Iraq. Fatah, made up of the Iran-trained Popular Mobilisation Forces that were at the forefront of the battle against the Islamic State, ran a pro-Iran campaign. In June, Mr. Sadr and Mr. Amiri had announced a surprise alliance in Najaf, but later Fatah backed out. If Mr. Sadr’s grand coalition does not get Fatah on its side, it will have to seek support from Kurdish or Sunni parties. Mr. Sadr cannot become Prime Minister as he did not contest. But being the leader of the largest bloc, he will play a crucial role in selecting the Prime Minister and setting the agendafor the government. His nationalist, pro-poor rhetoric during the campaign focussed on policies independent of foreign interference. The next government’s biggest early task is to improve security and address Sunni resentmentin the north against the Shia elite in Baghdad. Mr. Abadi’s government has succeeded in regaining territories from the IS, but the task of re-accommodating Sunnis into the national mainstream remains.
WORDS AND MEANINGS
- Ratification
Meaning: The action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement, making it officially valid.
Example: “ratification of the treaty raised problems in several member states”
- Widespread
Meaning: Found or distributed over a large area or number of people.
Example: “there was widespread support for the war”
Synonyms: General, Extensive
Antonyms: Local, Limited
- Coalition
Meaning: A temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government.
Example: “a coalition between Liberals and Conservatives”
Synonyms: Alliance, Union
- Cleric
Meaning: A religious leader.
Example: A Buddhist/Catholic/Muslim cleric.
- Incumbent
Meaning: (of an official or regime) currently holding office.
Example: “the incumbent President was defeated”
Synonyms: Current, Existing
Antonyms: Past, Future
- Lawmakers
Meaning: A legislator.
Example: “the game’s official lawmakers are preparing the new legislation”
- Designate
Meaning: Appointed to an office or post but not yet installed.
Example: “the Director designate”
- Come back
Meaning: To return to a place.
Example: I’ll come back and pick you up in half an hour.
- Blocs
Meaning: A group of countries or political parties with common interests who have formed an alliance.
Example: “the Soviet bloc”
Synonyms: Alliance, Association
- Secular
Meaning: Not having any connection with religion.
Example: We live in an increasingly secular society, in which religion has less and less influence on our daily lives.
- Sought
Meaning: Ask for (something) from someone.
Example: “he sought help from the police”
Synonyms: Request, Solicit
- Forefront
Meaning: The leading or most important position or place.
Example: “the issue has moved to the forefront of the political agenda”
Synonyms: Vanguard, Lead
Antonyms: Rear, Background
- Battle
Meaning: A lengthy and difficult conflict or struggle.
Example: “the battle against ageing”
Synonyms: Conflict, Fight
Antonyms: Truce, Peace
- Campaign
Meaning: An organized course of action to achieve a goal.
Example: “an election campaign”
Synonyms: Crusade, Drive
- Backed out
Meaning: To decide not to do something that you had said you would do.
Example: They backed out of the deal the day before they were due to sign the contract.
- Contest
Meaning: Engage in competition to attain (a position of power).
Example: “she declared her intention to contest the presidency”
Synonyms: Enter
- Crucial
Meaning: Of great importance.
Example: “this game is crucial to our survival”
Synonyms: Critical, Required
Antonyms: Unimportant
- Agenda
Meaning: A plan of things to be done or problems to be addressed.
Example: “he vowed to put jobs at the top of his agenda”
Synonyms: Schedule, Programme
- Rhetoric
Meaning: The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
Example: “he is using a common figure of rhetoric, hyperbole”
Synonyms: Oratory, Eloquence
- Resentment
Meaning: Bitter indignation at having been treated unfairly.
Example: “his resentment at being demoted”
Synonyms: Bitterness, Irritation
Antonyms: Contentment, Happiness
- Accommodating
Meaning: Fitting in with someone’s wishes or demands in a helpful way.
Example: “we always found the our local branch most accommodating”
Synonyms: Helpful, Adaptable
Antonyms: Unobliging, Disobliging
- Mainstream
Meaning: The ideas, attitudes, or activities that are shared by most people and regarded as normal or conventional.
Example: “they withdrew from the mainstream of European politics”
