Prime minister chasing the vice president

THE title uncovers a case between two rivals: Nuri Al-Maliki and Tariq Al-Hashemi. The first is the incumbent prime minister of Iraq, who has all powers in his hand — from the army to the security to the judiciary. The second is the fugitive vice president who was sentenced to death in absentia. Despite the seriousness of the sentence, very few people paid attention to the evidence and witnesses of the court because the authenticity of case was in doubt. The differences between the two leaders are political in nature. Security forces under Al-Maliki investigated the case against Al-Hashemi under conditions that were not fair or transparent.
It seems that Al-Maliki is not concerned about his image because he has become prime minister for a second term. He has become more aggressive. He began chasing his political rivals such as Saleh Al-Mutlaq, whom he kicked out of his position as deputy prime minister because he criticized Al-Maliki for making all decisions individually. When Moqtada Al-Sadr, the young Shiite leader, said the same thing about him and accused him of being a dictator, Al-Maliki did not have the courage to punish or even reprimand him.
This is what prompts some people to think that Al-Maliki, consciously or unconsciously, is tearing Iraq apart on sectarian lines. His hostilities with his opponents among the Sunni Arabs and Kurdish leaders have escalated. Some people believe that Al-Maliki’s war against the Sunnis and Kurds are in fact battles against his competitors who are top Shiite politicians. He is doing so to ensure his control on all government departments, including the ministries of finance and oil, the anti-corruption authority and the election commission. He has ensured his control over the provinces and even Baghdad after which he has taken over the army, the security forces and the intelligence agencies.
We do not want to link the destiny of the Sunnis in Iraq to Al-Hashemi’s case despite all the injustices that have been done to him. However, Al-Maliki is regrettably escalating his confrontation with Sunni leaders to the point that some might imagine that he wants to turn the case into a downright battle against the Sunnis.
Although it is not reasonable that a politician who rules Iraq would belittle himself or his country to this extent, but this is what Al-Maliki is doing now by acting against the ruler of Iraqi Kurdistan, the vice president and the deputy prime minister.
Consciously or unconsciously, Al-Maliki, through his actions, is disintegrating the Iraqi society. His battle against his own deputy Al-Mutlaq was caused by a statement the latter had made on TV criticizing him for taking decisions individually and arbitrarily. His battle with Al-Hashemi started when some old files were opened. Differences of oil quotas triggered Al-Maliki’s hostility against the rulers of Kurdistan.
Will Al-Maliki do it again while preparing himself for the next elections, which he wants to win by presenting himself as the man who will save the country’s Shiites from the Sunnis and the Kurds? Does he want to kick out all his opponents and prevent them from contesting the elections to ensure himself a smooth victory? It is no secret that Al-Maliki had lost the previous elections to his rival Iyad Allawi and had to seek the help of Tehran to compel all the Shiite groups to give him their votes.
Or is Al-Maliki a passionate man who does not think with his mind nor realize the seriousness of his actions against his country and its people? Is it true that he is not more than a puppet in the hands of his own staff who want to involve him in their own battles, which they show him as “plots against him?”
Regardless of whether the way Al-Maliki is escalating the situation is just part of a political ruse he is using to remain in power or whether it is emanating from personal grudges, the death sentence passed on Al-Hashemi represents the peak of his foolishness.
The Iraqis are not bothered about Al-Maliki’s battles because they are desperate now and have lost all hopes. No ruler since Nebuchadnezzar has had such revenues as Al-Maliki from Iraq’s oil revenues. Although the Americans have pulled out of the country and the Al-Qaeda was crushed, Iraq remains without services or security. There will be no reconciliations as long as Al-Maliki is busy chasing his opponents.