Mustafa al-Kadhimi ends Iraq deadlock but new PM faces hurdles

Former intelligence chief ’s appointment comes amid major crises: mass protests, coronavirus and plunging oil prices.

As the Iraqi parliament approved the majority of former intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s ministerial picks on Thursday, it effectively paved the way for a new phase in Iraqi politics with him as prime minister. The appointment of al-Kadhimi ended a political deadlock that left the country without a fully functioning government for more than five months. Two previous leaders had failed to form a new cabinet because of rival wrangling after Adel Abdul Mahdi stepped down in November amid mass anti-government protests.

But al-Kadhimi’s ascent to the premiership has not been a smooth ride. By the time he finally addressed parliament on Thursday, it was only after a long and complicated process of backdoor negotiations with Iraq’s various political blocs and party leaders. The rival factions had refused to agree on alKadhimi’s proposed names, forcing him to change his candidate lists at least three times ahead of the vote. Still, some blocs boycotted the May 7 session that ran more than three hours behind schedule because of last-minute consultations in parliament’s cafeteria. But al-Kadhimi, 53, began his term, albeit without a full government. Five of his 20 candidates were rejected and two key posts - ministers of oil and foreign relations - remained empty.

Filling these ministerial posts, however, is far from al-Kadhimi’s only challenge. The former journalist came to power amid three major crises: plunging oil prices that have caused a steep budget deficit and potential economic catastrophe; the coronavirus pandemic that Iraq’s fragile healthcare system has struggled to cope with; and strong popular protests that returned to the streets after a short lull because of COVID-19-related curfews.