This current government can no longer offer something convincing: Analyst
After the protests Tehran feels that it has lost Iraq. Even the nationalistic Shiites are today demonstrating against Iran
Dr. Ihsan al-Shammari, President of the Baghdad-based Iraqi Centre for Political Thought spoke to International Affairs Review on what is fuelling the current mass protests gripping Iraq and the way out.
Why have protests started again in Iraq? What do people want?
Iraqi people have no faith in the government and the political parties. They have lost all hopes for a better life. The widespread corruption, with faltering economic development, has exacerbated resentment, and these parties have been unable to provide convincing solutions to the mass protests. The monopoly of power, the division of state institutions, and the removal of competent Iraqis [from key positions] were key factors for the protests beginning once again.
How is the situation now? Are protests spreading to other parts of the country?
The protests and unrest are on the rise, young people are have turned out in huge numbers to reject the current government, and the middle class in Iraqi society is now participating in these demonstrations. The movement for civil rights extends and has spread to the rest of the Iraqi provinces. The young people and intellectuals even in the Kurdistan region of Iraq declared their solidarity with this protest movement. If the demands are not met quickly, we will see millions descending against this political class.
The Iraqi Prime Minister Abdel Abdul Mahdi has offered to resign. Will he really do so? Will that help ease tensions?
Although the prime minister [has] offered to resign, , he set conditions for resigning, and that gave an indication that it is a political game to shock absorb the momentum of the demonstrations. He is practicing a policy of brinkmanship. Resignation alone is not enough and will not convince demonstrators who want the President and the Speaker of Parliament to also go, who want parliament to be dissolved, constitutional amendments take place, and the corrupt to be prosecuted, and bring those who caused 250 casualties to justice. The lack of confidence in the government’s promises will not make the resignation a the beginning of negotiations or understanding between the people and the government. If genuine, then he should resign soon.
We often hear about Iranian influence in Iraq. What is Iran’s role in all of this, if any?
Iran is deeply concerned by the protests, especially since a large part of these demonstrations are against Iranian influence and dominance over the official Iraqi decision-making. Iran succeeded in imposing a political equation in Iraq close to it and worked to exclude the nationalistic Iraqis from decision-making. Iran is working through political parties very strongly [in order] to run Iraq according to its vision, and has also been accused of suppressing the demonstrators. Before the protests broke out, Iran had been confident that it had brought Iraq under its sway, but after the protests Tehran feels that it has lost Iraq. Even the nationalistic Shiites are today demonstrating against Iran and its influence and its proxies in Iraq. Iran has lost control of the Iraqi Shiite street.
In your opinion what steps should the government take to calm the situation?
The government must resign unconditionally, it must hold accountable those responsible for the deaths and injuries of thousands of victims during the protests, and should enable the (new) government to do its part to meet the demands of the protesters. This current Iraqi government can no longer offer something convincing – it must just resign.
