09/03/2018, 09.26
IRAQ
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Baghdad, al Sadr populists and premier Abadi allies form new government

Sixteen movements and political parties reached an agreement for the birth of the most important parliamentary block. The list can count on 177 seats (out of a total of 329). Today inaugural session of the Chamber, called to elect the next Speaker of Parliament. Within 30 days the Head of State.

Baghdad (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Sixteen Iraqi political movements and parties, including the populist list of radical Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr - winner of last May's election - and the faction of outgoing prime minister Haider al-Abadi, will give life to the most important parliamentary block. The agreement, reached late yesterday evening, will guarantee its signatories the possibility to start work on the formation of the new government.

A close associate of Abadi explained that the block includes 177 deputies elected to the May legislatures. More than half of the 329 seats of which Parliament is formed and which represents a solid basis in the classroom for the future executive.

This morning the inaugural session of the new Parliament is scheduled, during which the president will be elected (a Sunni, by tradition). This will be joined by two other deputies.

The deputies then have 30 days to choose the future president of the Republic, in this case a Kurd according to the recent history of the country. He will have to get two thirds of the parliamentary seats and, once elected, will have 15 days to entrust the task to the largest block - in this case Sadr and Abadi - for the formation of the government.

The Kurdish parties, divided within them, have yet to formalize the names of the candidates for president, the most important in the country although it plays a largely symbolic role. At the same time, the outgoing premier Haider al-Abadi. supported by the West and having reached third place in the last elections with its 42 seats, will almost certainly maintain his position as head of government.

Analysts and experts recall that the Iraqi political system is designed so that no one, leader or political group, can dominate parliament; the goal is to prevent the return of a dictator or strongman, after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

The start of parliamentary work and the birth of a block that has the numbers to form the new government ends months of doubts and uncertainties related to allegations of fraud that emerged following the vote. The country can therefore put behind itself a long period of political stalemate and face the many unresolved challenges: the war against the jihadists of the Islamic State (IS, ex Isis), the economic crisis, unemployment, corruption, the return of migrants and displaced, even Christians.

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