September 28th, 2009 by Zack

With Iraqi parliamentary elections scheduled for January 2010, the IraqPundit explains that, despite media reports to the contrary, the Iraqi people are very engaged in the election process.  In the pundit’s opinion, Baghdad is leaning towards supporting a secular candidate, despite expectations that a majority of voters will elect religious lists. He is also surprised by growing public opinion in favor of Ayyad Allawi.

Babylon and Beyond reports that the Shiite cleric Sheik Jalaluddin Saghir, a senior member of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, used this Friday’s prayers to lay out the SIIC’s political platform against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and to recruit new members into the party.  “Give us your ideas,” he said, “don’t be shy. We want to listen to you. We want changes. A majority in [our list] will not be from SIIC, but the new talented faces and elements, and this is in our agenda.”

The International Crisis Group has released a report on the struggle in Iraq between Kurds and Arabs over Ninewa province.  The group details the increasing tensions over oil and administration that threaten to destabilize northern Iraq and puts forth a number of recommendations for all parties considered.  Some of these recommendations include calls for political power-sharing arrangements, new security and administrative protocols, increased national pressure for compromise and American support for minority rights.

Posted in Elections, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Political Islam, Political Parties, Public Opinion, Reform |