2022 Year in Review

T H E C H A L L E N G E O F
D E M O C R A T I S A T I O N
The recent formation of a government has provided temporary
relief to the nation, but the widening gap between the people of
Iraq and the political elites remains a pressing issue. The low turnout
of voters in the October 2021 elections reflects the citizen’s
growing dissatisfaction with the broken political system. Iraqis have
lost faith in the system, with many denouncing the power-hungry
elite.
The citizens have borne the brunt of the political paralysis in the
country as it hampered much-needed economic reforms and
growth. In the past year, the absence of government and lack of
budget stymied the progress of necessary infrastructure projects
leaving citizens with a fragile healthcare and education system.
With the new grand coalition government of the Coordination
Framework, Kurdish parties and Sunni parties, can citizens expect a
meaningful change? The government still remains unstable and it
will need to make great efforts to promote democracy, and
ultimately, to achieve social and political harmony in the country.
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