Kadhimi wants to push back elections longer than necessary
That's FRANCE 24 discussing Iraq as it exists today with the US and Iran competing for control of the country. But that's not the big news for today. The big news is the upcoming election and, after that, the bigger news.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi
on Friday called an early general election for June 6, 2021, roughly a
year ahead of when it would normally be held, reported Reuters.
Early
elections are a key demand of Iraqi anti-government protesters who
staged months of mass demonstrations last year and were killed in their
hundreds by security forces and gunmen suspected of links to militia
groups.
Iraqi’s parliament must still ratify the election date.
Kadhimi
was selected by parliament in May to head a government that would guide
the country towards early elections. His predecessor Adel Abdul Mahdi
quit under pressure from protests in December last year.
It’s unclear under what electoral law the vote will be held. The
premier’s announcement has effectively thrown the ball in parliament’s
court, which now must officially vote on the new date. But political
differences prevail over the implementation of a new electoral law
passed late last year.
Parliament approved the law in December, aiming to give political
independents a better chance of winning seats in parliament and weaken
the hold of ruling elites.
Abdul Mahdi’s government proposed to parliament a new electoral law that
was quickly passed late last year. But the section detailing voting
procedures and constituency boundaries has not been finalized, according
to diplomats and experts. It was not clear what role Iraq’s election
commission — regularly accused of bias — would have in organizing the
polls. The UN mission in Iraq welcomed Kadhimi’s announcement. “Early
elections fulfil a key popular demand on the road to greater stability
and democracy in Iraq,” it said in a statement.
So what has Kadhimi done?
Really nothing. The law was approved in December and that has nothing to do with him. He didn't become prime minister until May 7th. All he's done is say that the vote would take place June 7th. What's the bigger story here, the one the press seems to miss?
Kadhimi is only prime minister to bring about elections. That's the whole purpose of his brief term. And last month he promised he wasn't trying to extend his term.
So why June 6th? That's ten months from now. Seven months is all that's required to hold elections -- it could be done in six. But that's what's been established by past elections -- and by hand wringing over them -- think specifically all the high drama the press tried to create in 2009 insisting that there was no way the elections could take place in early 2010.
So the news here is that although elections could be held much sooner, Kadhimi has tacked on extra months and extended his reign.
