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Iraq Elections: With ISIS in Rearview, Iran Lies Ahead

Posted: January 11th, 2018

Bottom Line: On paper, Iraq’s democratic electoral system promises rare, fair representation in a region where politics is dominated by monarchies and authoritarian regimes. But in reality, the country’s political system has been hamstrung by inefficiencies and gridlocks that have often segregated, rather than united, the Iraqi populace. As Iraqis work to heal the wounds they suffered at the hands of ISIS, the fragile state of affairs in Iraq remains susceptible to deep sectarian tensions, rising Iranian influence, and an emboldened Kurdish independence movement. All the while, the Iraqi people face monumental decisions in the looming May parliamentary elections when they will chart their country’s future trajectory.

Background: Now that Iraq has been liberated from ISIS’ wrath, the Iraqi government can turn its attention towards resettling the vast number of refugees and displaced persons and rebuilding its fractured country.

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