What's next for Anbar after Liberation from IS

The political conflict in Anbar seems to have reached a peak between the Reform bloc on the one hand and the Islamic and the Solution bloc on the other. This would hinder the reconstruction process and the return of the displaced to the province, particularly in case the provincial council and its leader are dismissed or if early elections are held. At the same time, the post-IS era in Anbar requires that the local government deal with the federal government and international donors in the absence of accusations of corruption leveled by rival parties in Anbar.

The conflict will certainly not be limited to Anbar. The Iraqi parliament has the power to dissolve the Anbar provincial council. It is up to parliamentary blocs to discuss the reasons for the dissolution and decide on whether to keep the situation as is — by rejecting the dissolution, which implies a triumph for the Islamic Party and the Solution bloc — or to agree to dissolve it and set a date for early elections, which the Reform bloc seeks to achieve.

Under such circumstances, the reconstruction process of the distressed city is not expected to be launched anytime soon, not to mention the displaced returning to their homes.