The United Nations envoy to Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, on Tuesday urged Tabqa political Al-Iraqiya to get out of the impasse that the country’s institutions have been going through for more than seven months, warning of the dangers of popular unrest.
In a statement to reporters after a regular session of the UN Security Council on Iraq, Hennis-Plasschaert added that she always seeks to see the positive side of things, “but it is time for a change and for Iraqi political leaders to rise to a higher level.”
The UN envoy also warned of popular tension in Iraq, and said, “We cannot allow a return to the conditions we witnessed in October 2018,” in reference to the demonstrations that took place in the country.
political paralysis
She has repeatedly stressed before the Security Council the “importance of getting out of the political impasse” that Iraq has been witnessing since the end of last year, which she says provokes popular resentment.
She also noted the worsening situation in the country as a result of “the ongoing repercussions of the pandemic and global geopolitical tensions.”
From the Iraqi parliament session – Ina’a agency
She stressed the need for “a sincere, collective and urgent intention to resolve political differences so that the country can move forward and respond to the needs of its people.”
It is noteworthy that, more than seven months after the legislative elections, Iraqi institutions are still experiencing paralysis with the inability to elect a president.
In Iraq, the President of the Republic is the one who assigns the Prime Minister to form a government.
Pending a way out of the impasse, the outgoing president, Barham Salih, who is running for a new term, and Prime Minister Mustafa Kazemi continue to conduct business.
missile diplomacy
In parallel, the UN representative said in a tweet that Iraq rejects the idea of treating it as a backyard area where neighbors and others repeatedly violate its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Mrs fall@JeanineHennis: Missiles and missiles is annoying, confusing, and dangerous. Iraq rightly rejects the idea that it can be treated as a backyard area where its sovereignty and territorial integrity are frequently violated by neighbors and others. pic.twitter.com/SacyxGnyuW
— UNAMI (@UNIraq) May 17, 2022
She added about the recent missile attacks in Iraq, that “missile diplomacy is reckless actions, with potentially devastating consequences.”