Iraq’s 2018 government formation: unpacking the friction between reform and the status quo
This report analyses the 2018 government formation process in Iraq.
Abstract
This report analyses the 2018 government formation process in Iraq. It argues that the process is marked by two competing trends, a bottom-up movement demanding institutional change symbolised by a low voter turnout and incumbency rate, and a top-down system that reinforces identity-based politics and the post-2003 order. The failure to officially identify the largest governing political bloc exemplifies this friction and paves the way for political instability. This report is based on interviews with Iraqi officials and activists in Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Ramadi, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah between March and December 2018. This report is the final in a series of three produced by IRIS as the outcome of a project examining the mobilisation strategies and results of the 2018 Iraqi elections.
This work is part of the Conflict Research Programme managed by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and funded by the UK Department for International Development
Citation
Mansour, Renad (2019) Iraq’s 2018 government formation: unpacking the friction between reform and the status quo. LSE Middle East Centre report. Middle East Centre, LSE, London, UK.
Link
Iraq’s 2018 government formation: unpacking the friction between reform and the status quo (PDF, 1925KB)