THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary - May 21, 2018 - Topic 2

Rise of Sadr

On Iraq's government formation

Iraq’s parliamentary election results marked a remarkable comeback for Muqtada al-Sadr, the nationalist Shia cleric who for years had been sidelined both by the Iraqi establishment and its Iranian backers and was seen as an enemy by the Americans. The May 12 parliamentary vote was crucial for all the main blocs in Iraq. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who led the Victory Alliance, bet on the gains the Iraqi army made under his leadership in the war against the Islamic State to win political points. For the Al-Fatih bloc, a coalition of parties and leaders that have close ties with Iran, capturing power was important at a time when Iran is facing new regional challenges, and they ran a largely pro-Shia campaign. 

Mr. Sadr, on the other side, shed his early sectarian image, focussed his campaign on social justice and government failure, attacked Iran’s deepening influence in Iraq from a nationalist perspective and stitched up alliances with liberals and communists to expand his base. This strategy paid off, with Mr. Sadr’s Sairoon bloc emerging as the largest coalition in the 329-member Iraqi parliament, with 54 seats. Mr. Abadi’s alliance came third with 42 seats while the pro-Iranian bloc secured 47. Mr. Sadr’s surprise success suggests that the cross-sectarian narrative he put forward in a divided Iraq, that is yet to recover from the wounds of the U.S. occupation and the war against the IS, is gaining popularity. While it is certainly a good sign for the future of Iraq, it may not be easy for Mr. Sadr to turn his electoral performance into a lasting political victory.

Since no bloc has absolute majority, a new government will have to be formed through political negotiation. Mr. Sadr himself cannot become Prime Minister as he did not contest the election. But it is not clear whether his bloc could get the prime ministerial berth at all. Iran would be wary of Mr. Sadr’s rise, as he is critical of its interventions in Iraq. Mr. Sadr had visited Saudi Arabia last year in what was widely seen as an effort to strike a balance between the two regional powerhouses. He has demanded that the Iran-trained popular mobilisation militias, which were in the forefront of the fight against the IS, be merged with the Iraqi national army. Besides, his nationalist narrative runs counter to the cross-border Shia brotherhood that Tehran is trying to promote in order to gain regional influence. However, despite the bad blood between them, both sides could also find some common ground in rebuilding post-war Iraq. It is not in Iran’s interest to see Iraq become dysfunctional again, triggering further chaos and breeding more violent militant groups. Iraq is a complex multi-sect society that needs cross-sectarian politics in order to be stable. Mr. Sadr’s broad-based politics offers hope in this. Mr. Abadi has already offered support for a peaceful transition of power. If Iran doesn’t play spoilsport, Iraq could get a government soon.

Vocabulary

Remarkable: worthy of attention; striking.

Example: A remarkable coincidence

Synonyms: extraordinary, exceptional, amazing, astonishing, astounding

Establishment: the action of establishing something or being established.

Example: The establishment of a scholarship renews that personal interest of donors in students

Synonyms: foundation, institution, formation, inception, creation, installation

Alliance: a union or association formed for mutual benefit, especially between countries or organizations.

Example: A defensive alliance between Australia and New Zealand

Synonyms: association, union, league, confederation, federation, confederacy

Coalition: an alliance for combined action, especially a temporary alliance of political parties forming a government or of states.

Example: A coalition of conservatives and disaffected Democrats

Synonyms: alliance, union, partnership, bloc, caucus, federation, league

Campaign: work in an organized and active way toward a particular goal, typically a political or social one.

Example: People who campaigned against child labor

Synonyms: crusade, fight, battle, push, press, strive, struggle, lobby

Narrative: a spoken or written account of connected events; a story.

Example: The hero of his modest narrative

Synonyms: account, chronicle, history, description, record, report, story

Performance: an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment.

Example: Don Giovanni had its first performance in 1787

Synonyms: show, production, showing, presentation, staging, concert

Effort: a vigorous or determined attempt.

Example: Hammer birdhouses to country fenceposts in an effort to bring back the eastern bluebird

Synonyms: attempt, try, endeavor, crack, shot, stab, essay

Influence: the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.

Example: The influence of television violence

Synonyms: effect, impact, control, sway, hold, power, authority, mastery

Transition: the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.

Example: Students in transition from one program to another

Synonyms: change, passage, move, transformation, conversion, metamorphosis