By Ahmed Tabaqchali, Chief Strategist of AFC Iraq Fund. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. "Election kerfuffle, what kerfuffle !!!" The market, as measured by the Rabee Securities U.S. Dollar Equity Index (RSISX USD Index), was up 5.0% for the month and […]
By Akeel Abbas for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Certification of election results opens new chapter in Iraq's political conflict Iraq's Federal Court has certified the recent election results, setting in motion the constitutional deadlines. Click here to […]
The big news this week in Iraq was the announcement of Nouri al-Maliki's new cabinet, and, unusually for such a decision, the fact that it was made several days ahead of the legal deadline. Nevertheless, BBC reports that Iraq now has the dubious honour of holding the world record for the longest period between an […]
By Tariq Abdell, Founder & Chairman, Mesopotamia Insight. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq presents a unique opportunity for a new beginning in U.S.- Iraq’s relationship. However, given Iraq’s crippling challenges and U.S. […]
By Tariq Abdell, Founder & Chairman, Mesopotamia Insight. Iraq's recent upsurge of violence, fueled by political impasse and regional geopolitics - Notably Iran's Mullacracy suicidal ambitions, could easily undermine its fragile democracy and, thus, plunging the country into a vicious downward spiral. The ongoing ignominious political ploys are creating a toxic environment compelling the majority […]
Iraq's new parliament met on Monday for the first time since elections were held on 7th March. According to Voice of America, “the session adjourned quickly, because parliament members had not ironed out the main items on the agenda”. The session is still technically 'open', but suspended indefinitely, so as not to trigger a constitutional […]
If a week is a long time in politics, it is a very long time in Iraq. The first day of this week in Iraqi politics witnessed a Sunday 23 May meeting between Iraqiyya leader Iyad Allawi and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. On the same day, the Washington Post released a new interview with Prime […]
The two biggest Shia political groups have announced they are to form a coalition. Incumbent Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's State of Law, and the Iraqi National Alliance, would together be just four seats short of a majority. The difficult question of who would be Prime Minister is still to be decided. The announcement comes as […]
According to a report by BBC this morning, Iraqi election officials said that a recount of the Baghdad ballots from the parliamentary vote on 7 March could take another three weeks. This comes as Nouri al-Maliki, who is disputing the results, has harshly criticized calls for international involvement in setting up a new government, according […]
It's generally accepted internationally that the elections in Iraq were, in the main, free and fair, but former prime minister Ayad Allawi's narrow margin of victory means the results will be challenged. Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki's Shiite Muslim State of Law alliance filed a complaint on Tuesday with the Supreme Court, asking for a […]
The slender margin generated by Iyad Allawi, the slightly more secularist candidate , over the incumbent Prime Minister Maliki, has all the indications of turning to ashes.
The full election results have been announced – according to Bloomberg, the seat tally is as follows: Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi’s Iraqiya alliance secured 91 seats; Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki's State of Law alliance won 89 seats; Iraqi National Alliance, led by pro-Iranian Shiite cleric Ammar al-Hakim, came in third with 70 seats; […]
