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Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki issued an arrest warrant for Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni and prominent official from the opposition Iraqiyya List, on December 19, 2011.
Baghdad, December 17, 2011
Download Statement by Iraqiya List Regarding Boycotting Parliament Sessions (PDF)
The official spokeswoman for Iraqiyya block, Mrs. Maysoun Al-Damaloudgi, said:
The political participation of the Sunni Arab minority in Iraq is critical to the security and stability of the state. At present, they are functionally excluded from government. Without effective political representation, the Sunni in Iraq are left with few alternatives to address their grievances against the Maliki government.
Iraq continues its slide towards widespread violence. Over the weekend, the Iraqi government has issued an ultimatum to anti-government protesters following an attack in Anbar province that left five soldiers dead.
At least 30 people have been killed in Iraq in recent days. ISW Iraq Analyst Ahmed Ali talks with Al Jazeera about the violence.
On April 20th, Iraq will hold its third provincial elections since 2005. There are 447 open seats nationwide, and competition for them is fierce. Previous elections illustrate that winning provincial seats can reverberate on the national level.
Today, political and military power in Iraq is highly centralized in Prime Minister Maliki’s personal office. This will have important implications for the future of Iraq and the trajectory and durability of its democratic transition.
These maps depict the anti-government and pro-government protests in Iraq from December 21, 2012 - January 11, 2013.
These maps depict the anti-government and pro-government protests in Iraq from December 21, 2012 - January 11, 2013.
The apparent beginnings of a campaign to remove Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and the threat of a similar campaign against his most significant opponent suggest that Iraqi politics is entering a period of intense political jockeying.