Iraq’s Supreme Court Rejects Petition to Dissolve Parliament

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Facts

  • Iraq's top court rejected a petition to dissolve the parliament on Wed saying it was beyond its legal authority. The petition was strongly supported by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his political bloc.
  • The petition was based on the notion that parliament was not fulfilling its duties. The Supreme Court said that parliament must dissolve itself if it is deemed to have not acted in the people's interest.
  • Al-Sadr's main rival, the Iran-backed Coordination Framework Alliance (CFA), said it was not opposed to early elections but insisted that the parliament will meet to vote on a new electoral law and dissolve itself.
  • In late July, Sadr's supporters stormed the parliament building. On Sun, the parliament's staff returned to work, as Sadr's supporters withdrew from the premises last week.
  • This came after Sadr demanded his loyalists to retreat following two days of violence against Iraqi security forces and Iran-backed groups, with over 30 being killed in Baghdad in some of the worst clashes the city has seen in years.
  • Iraq's political deadlock has been ongoing for almost a year since elections last Oct, in which Sadr's bloc became the largest coalition in parliament but could not manage to form a government due to objections from pro-Iran parties.

Sources: Al Jazeera, VOA, i24, and Reuters.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Press TV. Al-Sadr, who is known for stirring the pot in Iraqi politics, is playing with fire. Though popular with many in the Shiite community, his unruly supporters and his fierce rhetoric are plunging Iraq into civil strife. His actions instigated the violence in Baghdad, and he should make way for the CFA, which now has a clear and legal pathway to governance.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Al Jazeera. Iran is wholly to blame for the current crisis in Iraqi politics. The CFA, with Iranian support, has gone out of its way to derail al-Sadr, whose movement won the biggest bloc in parliament. Sadr even offered the CFA some seats, but the Alliance refused due to Iran's all-or-nothing attitude.
  • Cynical narrative, as provided by Atlantic Council. Al-Sadr has already lost to Iran, and antics like this aren't going to change that. The firebrand cleric did quite well in last year's elections, but his inability to form a government has led to a significant loss of ground to Iranian-backed groups.