ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Sayed Mohammed Jaafar Baqir al-Sadr was nominated by the Save the Homeland Alliance for the position of prime minister on Wednesday, as the Iraqi parliament is set to elect a president on Saturday, however his victory is yet to be guaranteed.
Jaafar is backed by his cousin, influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose party won the most votes of the October parliamentary elections. He previously served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before being elected as a member of parliament in 2010 for the State of Law Coalition led by Nouri al-Maliki, whereupon he resigned a few months later. He is currently Iraq’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.
The son of revered Shiite leader Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr, Jaafar has been described as moderate and unaffiliated with any political parties. He is thought of as someone who believes that Iraq should maintain balanced relations with the United States and its neighbors.
According to Sheikh Saad al-Hasnawi, a member of Muqtada al-Sadr’s political office, the nominee “has never been party to the existing rivalries. He is not associated with any political party, nor is he the head of any party or faction.”
“Other than the support of the nation, he does not have anything,” he added.
Muqtada al-Sadr, head of the Sadrist Movement, has repeatedly stated that he wants a “national majority government”, however this idea is opposed by the Coordination Framework, who persist in attempts to form a government based on political consensus.
Iraq has had a national consensus government for years, which has allowed Iran to outsize its influence in Iraq and according to many, encouraged corruption and hindered development in the country.
While the Coordination Framework has not rejected Jaafar’s nomination, they are still boycotting Saturday’s parliamentary session to elect the
president.
Should the parliament fail to meet the required two thirds quorum required to elect a president, the nomination will be remain on hold until quorum is met in future session.
The Coordination Framework is a pro-Iran Shiite parliamentary faction affiliated to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic) who claim to have over 100 MPs.
“Iraq’s issues are very tough and profound. The issues are not tied to one certain side. The scene as a whole is problematic. If Sayed Jaafar will be able to control the situation and carry his responsibilities with all the political blocs, this is going to be good,” said Jawad Ghazzali, an MP from the State of Law Coalition, while warning of issues if he fails to bring order.
Iraq held snap elections on October 10. The vote was called in response to mass protests in the country beginning in October 2019, caused by widespread dissatisfaction with Iraq’s politicians and endemic corruption in the country.
