Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks

Abstract

Iraq's political system, the result of a U.S.-supported election process, is increasingly exhibiting peaceful competition but continues to be riven by sectarianism and ethnic and factional infighting. As 2009 began, there was renewed maneuvering by opponents of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki who view him as authoritarian and might try to replace him, particularly if his party had fared poorly in the January 31, 2009 provincial elections. However, campaigning for the provincial elections, held in all provinces except Kirkuk and the Kurdish-controlled provinces, was relatively peaceful and enthusiastic and there was a more diverse array of party slates than those that characterized the January 2005 provincial elections. The elections appear to have strengthened Maliki and others who believe that power should remain centralized in Baghdad. Internal dissension within Iraq aside, the Bush Administration was optimistic that the passage of key laws in 2008, coupled with the provincial elections, will sustain recent reductions in violence.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 17, 2009
Accession Number
ADA494526

Entities

People

  • Kenneth Katzman

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Congress
  • Elections
  • Governments
  • Kurds
  • Law
  • Minority Groups
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Political Systems
  • Sectarian Violence
  • Security
  • Security Personnel
  • Terrorists
  • United States

Readers

  • International Relations and Conflict Resolution
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.