Iraq’s new Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi is facing mounting pressure to complete his cabinet as he attempts to balance external ties with Iran and the US, mirrored by an internal power struggle between his country’s political elite, experts have told The National.
For decades, Iraqi politicians have walked a tightrope between the competing influences of their allies, Washington and Tehran. Now Mr Al Zaidi is in the line of fire.
The 41-year-old businessman officially assumed office on Saturday and became the country’s youngest prime minister following a handover ceremony in Baghdad with predecessor Mohammed Shia Al Sudani.
He vowed to ensure a state monopoly on weapons following US pressure to dismantle Iran-backed Iraqi militias that has highlighted his government’s ties with these groups.
Mr Al Zaidi's title was approved during a vote of confidence on Thursday by the parliament, in which half his cabinet programme was passed.
Negotiations are under way between politicians in Baghdad for several portfolios, with nine positions left to fill.
Mr Al Zaidi “is stuck between the two external powers, US and Iran, whilst also having to build a government and choose ministers that are acceptable to both external sides and to the internal Iraqi political negotiations”, Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at London’s Chatham House, told The National.
“That’s why this time around there is a lot going on that is stopping the complete flow of government,” he said.
Mr Al Zaidi's nomination followed months of political wrangling after Washington vetoed the previous front-runner, former premier Nouri Al Maliki.
Previously chairman of Al Janoob Islamic Bank, Mr Al Zaidi had never held senior political office before his nomination.
A lawyer and businessman from the southern Dhi Qar province, he holds degrees in finance and law and has built a career managing economic, educational and medical institutions.
Political disputes in Baghdad
Mr Al Zaidi promised to focus on making Iraq “a balanced country, regionally and internationally” while also pledging to rein in Iran-backed militias, which will upset some political parties that view this as external interference.
While he has received endorsement from US President Donald Trump and his administration, he faces harsh conditions from Washington to limit Iranian influence. Tehran-backed politicians within his own coalition are also pressing him to push back against American demands.
This resulted in a fight in parliament on Thursday over some of the ministerial nominations.
Some of the political parties, such as the State of Law coalition, led by Mr Al Maliki, expressed concern that “some of their candidates were not pushed through while the candidates of other parties were being passed”, said Sajad Jiyad, an Iraq expert at the Century Foundation think tank in New York.
“Some of the other parties were also concerned that the process was not so transparent. Why were the candidates of other parties for cabinet positions being approved quite quickly and unanimously, whereas the candidates of some of the smaller parties, were not being pushed through,” he said.
“These disputes may continue even after the government is fully formed,” Mr Jiyad told The National. “There is a lot of competition and fragmentation between the parties, which may result in cross-party alliances.”
The competition between the political classes may lead to a “new dynamic in Iraqi politics”, he said, adding that it will continue throughout the lifetime of Mr Al Zaidi's government.
The new government will have to deal with the political and economic fallout of the US-Israeli war against Iran, which spilt into Iraq. This includes the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted the oil exports on which Iraq’s economy depends.
