Iraqi political groups negotiate the formation of a unity government with Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds

MADRID, Jan. 31 (Royals Blue) –

The president of the Iraqi Parliament, Mohamed al Halbusi, confirmed on Monday that there are contacts between the main Iraqi parties to form a government of national unity that includes Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.

The deputies of these three minorities will meet at the headquarters of the Sayirún coalition led by the Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr, the formation with the most votes in the recent legislative elections, explained Al Halbusi, according to the Iraqi press.

Al Sadr himself met this Monday with Al Halbusi and with the head of the autonomous Kurdish government, Nechirvan Barzani, in the city of Najaf to address the formation of the new government.

One of the main obstacles will be the relationship between Sadr’s coalition and the traditional Shiite parties that have so far been dominant in the Iraqi political system.

The Sayyrun coalition won the most votes in the October 10 elections and controls 73 of the 329 seats in the Iraqi parliament. Behind was Al Halbusi’s Taqadum (Progress) coalition, with 37 seats.

The parliamentarians, of an anticipated nature, were convened after the serious political crisis in which the country was plunged after the massive mobilizations registered in 2019, which forced the resignation of the Government and the approval of new electoral legislation.

The protests, which broke out in October 2019 and resulted in more than 550 deaths –according to the official balance provided in July 2020–, were a new example of the population’s disenchantment with the political class in the face of numerous cases of corruption. , the poor state of public services and the prevailing economic crisis in Iraq.