ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s political climate is currently experiencing its most difficult period since the US invasion of the country around a decade ago, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said Saturday while expressing hope that stability in the country emerges victoriously. “Iraq is going through a political crisis that may be the most difficult crisis after 2003,” Kadhimi said during the Shiite Arbaeen pilgrimage, adding that solutions must be found to overcome the crisis and “move towards a secure and stable Iraq.” Millions of Shiite followers from around the world embark on a journey annually towards Iraq’s holy Shiite city of Karbala to attend the Arbaeen pilgrimage, a Shiite ritual marking the end of a 40-day mourning period for the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, in 680 AD. “My call to all political forces in Iraq is to let us take inspiration from this Arbaeen ceremony and to put Iraq and all the Iraqis in mind,” the Iraqi premier continued. The political instability in Iraq has reached staggering depths with the country entrenched in deep political turmoil as different factions in Baghdad have been unsuccessful in reaching an agreement to form a government, almost a year after early elections in October 2021. Deadly clashes in late August between supporters of powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his pro-Iran rivals further fuelled the tensions. The violent fighting claimed the lives of at least 30 people and injured over 500 others. Iraq’s political leaders in early September agreed to work towards holding early elections in a meeting boycotted by Sadr. Under Iraq’s constitution, the dissolution of the parliament can only be done through an absolute majority of its members, or upon the request of one-third of its members.
