The Protectors

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During The Past years, the protests in Iraq often, the latest wave of unrest that has reportedly killed left More Than 100 people and thousands more injured mark could point to a dangerous turn of.

Iraqis are not simply demanding the overthrow of a leader or a Political Party . Instead, you are left calling for the end of a political System , since the US-led invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein in 2003 - a System that, they argue, has you in the lurch.

they point, in particular the way government appointments are made on the basis of sectarian or ethnic quotas (a System known as muhassasa), and not on merit. Did the Iraqis say, this has allowed Shi'ites, Kurds, Sunnis, and other leaders, the misuse of public funds, to enrich, and their followers, and effectively plunder the country of its wealth with very little benefit to most citizens.

The casualty toll has risen, despite an indefinite curfew

took office last year, Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi government of technocrats, a solution for the corruption and The Gap between the elites and the ordinary citizens are promised. For almost a year, he has proven unable and unwilling to really push back against the political class.

Instead, he has continued to cut deals with the same elite. After All , these politicians put him in power. And without a Political Party , this Prime Minister - a compromise candidate in the two largest competing Shiite-led-blocks - is at the behest of the political class, More Than any of his predecessors.

the moment of consecration,

Those protests led to a particularly hazardous environment.

Some of the political figures who consider themselves The Protectors of this System of these protests to existential threats. Unlike ever before in Baghdad, these leaders have to violence, with snipers and bombers to target protesters, and defend their System .

PM Adel Abdel Mahdi has not delivered, to Crack Down on promises on corruption

Last year during the protests in Basra, security forces also fired on protesters leads to a rapid end, as the protesters retreated, in fear of their lives. This year, in Baghdad and elsewhere, the protector of The System , the application of the teachings of Basra 2018.

In The Past , protests have generally collapsed in the summer, when the scorching heat and the inability of the government, basic services such as electricity or Water reaches a boiling point, and the Iraqis on The Streets .

Ironically, this year, have improved the services easily, due to strong rain and a less intense summer. But the reforms to The System , a distance remains a reality.

Last weekend the downgrading of Staff Lieutenant General Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, the a legendary figure, who led The Fight against the Islamic state (IS) group, angered many Iraqis.

they believed, The National hero who lost his work because his efforts to combat corruption and the political class in its counter-terrorism service (CTS). And not to fight them, if The Hero who has fought, IS the corruption and the political class Can then who?

Unemployment in Iraq

Modeled ILO estimate, %

source: the world Bank

Sixteen years since the regime change, Iraqis, and particularly The Youth in the protests are Fed Up with the facade of reform and leaders who have learned, with The Right words, but not willing or not able to The System to reform.

However, these protests are largely leaderless and no organizational structure. You will hardly lead to a systemic change or revolution. Instead, the protector of The System are doubled to limit by using violence, oppression and coercion, freedom of Association and freedom of speech.

This weekend, attacks on media in Baghdad and the cutting of The Internet insights into this new environment.

Therefore, during the protests and the bloody reaction suggest a transformative moment, it Can . against an Iraq that is even more authoritarian

Renad Mansour is a Research Fellow at the Middle East and North Africa program and Director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House . He is also a Research Fellow at the American University of Iraq - Sulaimani (OUT) and lectures at the University of Cambridge .

iraq, baghdad, iraq protests

Source of news: bbc.com