- After the defeat of the Islamic State in 2017, normality is returning to Iraq ahead of the 12 May parliamentary elections.
In this Q&A, Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for the Arabian Peninsula Elizabeth Dickinson says the country’s cautious optimism includes hopes of a new partnership with Riyadh, balancing Baghdad’s strong ties with Tehran.
- Elizabeth Dickinson
ICG
- First: the facts. What is happening on 12 May, who is competing? And any prognosis as to the outcome?
This is the fourth time parliamentary elections will be held since Iraq adopted its new constitution in 2005. There have been several important constants: Shiite Islamist parties have invariably won; just as invariably, they…