It’s just that, rather than using the usual political channels, al-Maliki seems to be forcing the issue with al-Hashimi’s arrest warrant. In a televised speech on Wednesday, the Iraqi Prime Minister said that if he had to, he would form a majority government.
The crisis has also confirmed the important role that the Kurdish authorities have to play in Iraq’s political process. If al-Hashimi had not been able to shelter in the semi-autonomous state of Iraqi Kurdistan, then the crisis could have accelerated far more rapidly to dangerous levels in a country that is still working on repairing historical enmities between different parts of the population.
At the time of writing, things did not look any calmer. Vice President al-Hashimi was still in Iraqi Kurdistan despite the fact that al-Maliki had said he should return to Baghdad. Rumour had it that the Iraqiya bloc was apparently considering proposing its own no confidence vote to parliament, although this time it would be directed at al-Maliki. And on Thursday morning a seemingly random spate of bomb blasts in Baghdad left over 60 dead and hundreds injured. Targets included schools and construction sites. It was as yet uncertain who was behind them but the attacks may well further inflame tensions.
This political impasse may last days, or it may go on for weeks. Meanwhile ordinary Iraqis, many of whom prefer to consider themselves Iraqis rather than belonging to any particular religious sect, continue to live under what sometimes feels a never ending burden of political conflict.
(Source: NIQASH)
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