Iraq’s protest movement has been demanding a full break from the US-backed and Iran-backed ruling class in the next government. The new PM-designate, Mohammed Allawi, held cabinet posts in two former governments, and is the cousin of former PM Ayad Allawi, so not exactly the clean break they were hoping for.
To be fair, not many want the job of PM-designate just now. With massive protests, and tensions with the US, a lot of people rightly believe that the smarter course of action for the politically ambitious is to wait for wholesale political reforms and promised early elections.
Allawi is trying to placate the protesters about his own nomination, promising reforms, and saying he’ll bring justice for those protesters killed in government violence. That’s the least he can do.
Literally the least he can do. With Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani harshly critical of violence against the protesters, this was likely the bare minimum for a PM-designate, and it was enough that cleric Moqtada al-Sadr endorsed Allawi, and called on protesters to start clearing away camps.
Allawi’s existing political ties raise a red flag for the protesters that he’s just another superficial change, and the fact that Iran has endorsed him is a big problem. Only time will tell if he ends up being acceptable, but for now Iraq doesn’t seem to have a lot of alternatives.
And who are the protesters to be demanding political actions, just as if representing population as a whole. In fact, Sunni of Anbar province, Kurds and vast majority of Shia — the majority of population — do not protest, nor are they supporting protest demands. Then who? More mysterious students? Those still fed by their parents, or on state subsidies? Who have zero life experience? Sure, it is not hard to find plenty of unhappy people in a war torn country, still under occupation and not allowed to make its decisions on economy. People who fought ISIS know exactly where such chaos leads — leads to anarchy and vulnerability to sectarian and cultish, foreign sponsored nightmare.
As Sadrists get into cleaning up camps, dangers increase of foreign element doing some extra-curricular killing.
There is no way Iraq in crisis can produce meaningful reforms. Reforms asking for elimination of “sectarian”!politics feign not to understand that Kurds and Sunni minority count on those to keep their rights. The whole thing is disingenuous— save the poverty and misery of people who see not a chance for their lot to improve. Without getting its sovereignty back — a pipe dream.
Huh ? “as if representing” ? I think you may not understand what a demonstration is. From “demo”..people.
Where do you get the notion…”those still fed by their parents, or on state subsidies ” what are you alluding to ?