UNAMI calls for dialogue as Iraq marks one year since elections

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Monday urged Iraq’s political actors to “engage in dialogue without preconditions,” as the country marks one year since early elections were held, with a new government yet to be formed. 

Iraq held snap parliamentary elections on October 10, 2021, sparked by the nationwide anti-corruption protests that erupted in the country two years prior, but the elected legislature has failed to form Iraq’s next government due to prolonged disagreements between the political blocs over the mechanism of its formation.

“All actors must engage in dialogue without preconditions,” read a statement from UNAMI on Monday, adding that “through compromise, they must collectively agree on key outcomes that reaffirm their publicly stated objective, which is to service the needs of Iraqi people and establish a fully empowered and effective government.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi also came out with an official statement on Monday calling on all political parties to cooperate and resolve the country’s current crisis through national dialogue in order to achieve peace and stability.

“In order to preserve peace and security, we adopted policies of dialogue, understanding, cooperation, and partnership during the past two years,” read Kadhimi’s statement.

Iraqi President Barham Salih also highlighted the importance of dialogue, adding that the past year served as a "harsh reminder of the missed opportunities for our country."

Iraqis took to the streets in October 2019 in massive protests against corruption and unemployment and called for the provision of basic services. The protests resulted in early elections, but the country's political future remains mired by instability.

The inability to form a government hinders the current caretaker cabinet from carrying out proper, long-term decisions to stabilize various sectors of the country, including its economy, following a clarification from Iraq's Federal Supreme Court last month addressing the current government's capabilities.