Iraq has embarked on a political obstacle course this week, which could lead to the formation of a stable government without the presence of pro-Iranian parties in the country, or to a dive back into the protest and violence the country has repeatedly seen over the past decade.
The country's Supreme Court upheld the results of the October election, in which the party of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who opposes Iran's influence on Iraq's internal affairs, won an unprecedented victory over Iran's supporters - especially the Fatah party, the political body. Of the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.
Feverish negotiations
The confirmation of the results, which came despite loud protests that included threats of violence from Iranian supporters, who claimed that the election results were falsified, led to the Iraqi president's decision to announce the opening of the new parliament on January 9.
The decision sent the political system into a cauldron of activity.
The man of the hour, Muqtada a-Sadr, went to meet with his opponents from the Fatah party, and the parties pledged to try to negotiate a government.
But a few hours later, al-Sadr delivered a speech challenging Tehran's loyalists, saying he would send a government in which no foreign country would have any influence, clearly signaling Iran and its supporters.
While the trajectory of al-Sadr and militias seems increasingly plausible - Iraqi citizens, who expressed displeasure with their country's tangled and troubled politics when they reached a 40 percent lower turnout, were indifferent and frustrated by the political situation.
"I did not want to run in the election," Umm Aqel, a Shiite woman from Najaf, told the BBC, adding that she finally went to the polls after the country's top Shiite leader, Ali Sistani, called on citizens to run in the election.
Al-Sadr supporters celebrate in Baghdad, Photo: AFP
"We feel there is a disconnect between the government and what is happening in reality, what does it matter which new government will be formed?" She wondered.
It is very important to it which government will be formed in Baghdad is Iran, and it is ready to take significant steps to ensure its continued control over what is happening in its southern neighbor.
On Thursday, the Al-Arabiya news network reported that Iran had halted its supply of natural gas to Iraq, in a move designed to make clear that it could harm Baghdad's economy even without exercising its loyalty to the country.
While the initiated power outages are increasing as a result of gas shortages, the Iraqi public remains once again the one paying the price for the never-ending political struggles.
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