No time to bicker

The newly elected president of Iraq, Fouad Massoum, designated Haider Al Abadi, the prime minister, to form a new government as speedily as possible, giving hope that there is an opportunity to stabilise Iraq and bring its political situation to a more normal state.

The former prime minister, Nouri Al Maliki, resists being unseated and the appointment of the new premier even though he has nothing to show after three terms in office, having failed spectacularly to unify the country and strengthen the institutions that would have helped it return to normal life and ensure justice.

Voices within Iraq and outside, including in Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the US and even the UN, swiftly expressed support for the newly appointed prime minister who, they believe, could be the right man to form a national unity government in which all the major religious and ethnic groups would find a place.

Maliki’s authoritarian rule brought chaos and sectarian strife to Iraq. He gave no thought to the interests of the country and the various peoples and religious communities that make up the Iraqi society, promoting, through his biased policies, sectarianism and sowing division.

With the Islamic State putting increasing pressure on the north of the country, where it is fast advancing, Iraq can ill afford more paralysis in Baghdad.

The country needs time and immense effort to get some semblance of normality.

It is hoped that the new prime minister will soon start to work towards preserving the national unity and the territorial integrity of his country.

He needs all the support he can muster, especially in this critical times when a foreign army has occupied big chunks of the country and aims at dismembering it.

What Iraq is facing now is more than bickering between two politicians. It is facing an existential threat, and after so many years in power, Maliki surely does realise this.