Although the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was intended to pave the way for a thriving democracy, many Iraqis have been dissatisfied with the largely ineffective governments that have been in power since 2003.
Iraqis claim that despite pledges, their authorities have not yet implemented economic reforms, fought corruption, improved deteriorating public services, or fought unemployment and poverty.
The speaker is a Sunni, the president is a Kurd, and the prime minister represents the Shi’ite Muslim majority under a system of government in effect since the adoption of the post-Saddam Hussein constitution in 2005.
On one side, the Shi’ites are led by the erratic preacher Moqtada al-Sadr, while on the other, the Coordination Framework is an alliance of primarily Iran-aligned organisations.
Popular Sadr, who was once a criminal wanted death or alive during the US occupation, rose to become Iraq’s most powerful person and a political kingmaker.
After Saddam was overthrown by American and international forces, Sadr spearheaded an armed uprising against the American occupation of Iraq.
He inherited from his father, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Sadeq al-Sadr, who was slain in 1999 after publicly criticising Saddam, a sizable following of Shi’ites, especially from the poor.
Leaked video from Saddam’s execution in 2006 showed that as he was being carried to the scaffold, spectators insulted him by screaming Moqtada’s name.
Sadr’s Mehdi Army was charged of organising death squads that abducted and murdered Sunni Muslims during the civil conflict in Iraq from 2006 to 2008. Sadr has renounced using violence against Iraqis.
Sadr is against all outside meddling, particularly Iranian meddling. He has a tens of thousands-strong militia and uses supporters who work for the Iraqi government to exercise extensive influence.
The Dawa party, which controlled Iraqi administrations after 2003, is led by the former prime minister Maliki. He had strong ties to Iran, which helped Dawa oppose Saddam during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.
He is Sadr’s fiercest rival and has connections to state security and armed militias. He also heads a significant parliamentary bloc.
Maliki was forced out of government in 2014 when the Islamic State seized a third of the nation, with pressure coming from both the US and Iran. He has refuted claims that his tactics inciting sectarian conflict drove Sunnis to join the Islamic State.
One of Iraq’s most influential politicians is Hadi al-Amiri, a former dissident who formerly battled Saddam from exile in Iran.
He is the leader of the Badr Organization, a Shi’ite armed group that Iran first supported in the 1980s. The Popular Mobilization Forces, a governmental paramilitary group that includes numerous factions supported by Iran, include a sizable portion of Badr.
Following the U.S. invasion, critics have charged him of leading sectarian death squads, which he vigorously refutes.
In the offices of Badr, Ali Khamenei portraits are a common sight. “The head of the Islamic world as well as Iranians is Khamenei. I firmly believe this, and I’m proud of it “Once, Amiri remarked
Abdul Latif Rashid, a seasoned Kurdish politician, was chosen as president of Iraq by the parliament in 2022. Rashid served as Iraq’s minister of water resources from 2003 to 2010. He is Bafel Talabani’s uncle and the leader of one of the main Kurdish political parties.
Since 2003, Kurdish parties have established a semi-autonomous zone in northern Iraq, but the prominent Barzani and Talabani clans have long been at odds over control of the region’s resources and oil and gas wealth.
Since the two factions fought a civil war in the 1990s, power-sharing governments in Iraqi Kurdistan have mainly managed to keep tensions under control. Nonetheless, the internal strife among Kurdish leaders has significantly reduced their once-moderat influence over Iraqi politics.
Under Saddam, a Sunni himself, the Sunnis of Iraq dominated the nation. Nevertheless, the situation changed in 2003 when a U.S.-led invasion brought about Shi’ite rule, leaving Sunnis exposed.
Since 2003, Sunnis have been split along ideological and tribal lines, which, according to Sunni voters, renders them vulnerable to Shi’ite adversaries.
In the most recent election, Taqaddum, led by parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, and the Azm coalition, led by Khamis al-Khanjar, came out on top.
Halbousi, an engineer from western Iraq, was able to become a speaker because of his positive relationships with Shi’ites and Kurds.
Khanjar, a wealthy businessman, funded Sunni politicians and fighters who sought to establish an autonomous region for the minority sect. Shi’ites criticised this action as an invitation to sectarian violence.
