Iraqi Protest Leaders Launch Political Blocs, Seek to Partake in Elections

A side of clashes between anti-government activists and security forces in Iraq's southern Nasiriyah city last week (AFP)
A side of clashes between anti-government activists and security forces in Iraq's southern Nasiriyah city last week (AFP)
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Iraqi Protest Leaders Launch Political Blocs, Seek to Partake in Elections

A side of clashes between anti-government activists and security forces in Iraq's southern Nasiriyah city last week (AFP)
A side of clashes between anti-government activists and security forces in Iraq's southern Nasiriyah city last week (AFP)

Newly formed political blocs linked to anti-government protests in Iraq, also known as the ‘October Revolution,’ have expressed their desire to partake in the upcoming Levantine country’s general elections slotted for next June.

Activists predicted that no less than 10 parties will push for demands made by October Revolution protesters in upcoming parliamentary elections.

During the last few days, two parties of activists announced their willingness to challenge Iraq's political class in June’s ballot vote. It is expected that other parties that emerged from the mass 2019 protests will follow suit.

Prominent October Revolution leader Alaa al-Rikabi revealed, at a press conference on Friday, that the new Imtidad Movement would "confront the corruption of the current regime" in parliamentary elections.

He said the name referred to the party being an "extension" of the protest movement, which began in October 2019 and encouraged mass protests around the country until the coronavirus pandemic limited their ability to mobilize.

Rikabi announced the new party in nearby Samawah, instead of Nasiriyah city, where he is based, because of fears about attacks from rival parties.

Militia attacks continue to affect activists in Nasiriyah. Only two days ago, the home of local activist Wahab Al-Hamdani was attacked.

Serious damage done to the residence was reported.

Another party, called the October 25 Movement, also held a conference to announce plans for partaking in elections and stress the importance of political work supporting the country’s economy and countering Iranian influence in Iraq.

“After a long effort and a process challenged by many obstacles and troubles, we broke the barrier of time, abandoned fear, and announced the October 25 Movement as the first strategic political project that calls for the separation of religion and state, stands firmly against Iran's destabilizing policies, and puts Iraq's interests first,” one of the movement’s founders, Talal al-Hariri, said in a tweet.

He went on to explain how his party works to ensure the integrity of anti-state protests against the backdrop of opportunist Islamists who seek to take over.

In other news, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir of Iceland as his new Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs and Electoral Assistance of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Gísladóttir succeeds Alice Walpole of the United Kingdom, who will complete her assignment end of February 2021.

Gísladóttir brings a wealth of diplomatic and political experience to the position, including from her recent role as Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and most recently as the Head of its Election Observation Mission in Ukraine.

She also served as UN Women’s Regional Director in Europe and Central Asia and its Country Representative in Turkey and Afghanistan. She was Iceland’s Foreign Affairs Minister from 2007 to 2009, member of Parliament for seven years, and Mayor of Reykjavík for nine years. She is also a member of the Nordic Women’s Mediators Network.



Syria’s Finance Minister Says Foreign Investors Welcome after US Sanctions Move

A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
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Syria’s Finance Minister Says Foreign Investors Welcome after US Sanctions Move

A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)

Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh made a call to global investors on Wednesday to come do business with Syria after US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement that he would lift all of Washington's sanctions on the country.

"Syria today is a land of opportunities, with immense potential across every sector—from agriculture to oil, tourism, infrastructure, and transportation,” Barnieh said in an interview with Reuters at the Finance Ministry in Damascus.

"We envision a central role for the private sector in the new Syrian economy. The finance ministry's role is not to spend indiscriminately or act as a regulatory enforcer over businesses, but rather to enable and support growth."

A wall outside his office still bore the discolored outline of one of the many posters of former strongman Bashar al-Assad that used to hang in Syria's public buildings before his ousting by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) last year.

Changes in Syria have been swift since Assad fled to Russia in December of last year.

HTS commander Ahmed Sharaa was appointed president, formed a government and had quick success garnering Gulf Arab support and getting most European sanctions lifted.

The stunning turn of events was capped by a meeting between Sharaa and Trump in Riyadh on Wednesday after Trump's pledge to cease US sanctions imposed on Syria under Assad-family rule, measures widely seen as the biggest external obstacles to the country's economic recovery.

Trump has not set out a timeline for removal.

"One of the most critical outcomes of lifting sanctions would be Syria's reintegration into the global financial system," Barnieh said.

"This would allow us to restore financial flows and attract investments, which are urgently needed across all sectors,” he said, adding that Syrian authorities have already seen strong interest from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and several EU countries, among others.

He noted that the government is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of public financial management, including reforms to the tax system, customs, and banking -- part of a broader effort to modernize an economy long burdened by an oversized public sector.

He also struck a cautioning tone, saying that the removal of sanctions would be just the first step in a years-long recovery for a country ruined by 14 years of war.

"The lifting of sanctions is not the final chapter," he said.

"We cannot afford to become complacent. We are entering a new phase that demands real results and visible progress on the ground."