Former MP Al-Abayji Warns of Setbacks in Iraq’s Democratic Progress
Former MP Shrouq Al-Abayji has expressed concern over the lack of civil representation and the absence of a true national project in Iraq’s political scene. She called the current situation a dangerous step backward after more than 20 years of building a democratic state.
Al-Abayji told Al-Manassat dinaropinions.com that a national civil project should be built on key principles like uniting Iraqis under a shared national identity and prioritizing citizenship over sub-identities. “These principles were supposed to take root after two decades of political work, but the reality shows a clear setback and a lack of progress in democratic behavior,” she said.
She criticized the dominant parties for treating power as spoils of war, focusing on influence and financial gains, while civil forces remain committed to defending the people, the country’s sovereignty, fighting corruption, and addressing Iraqis’ ongoing crises.
Al-Abayji warned that the ruling class is increasingly excluding and marginalizing genuine national voices. She highlighted that billions of dollars spent on election campaigns could have been better used to tackle critical issues like water, schools, housing, and electricity.
She added that people today are living in a “state of shock” due to the sidelining of those defending rights, fighting corruption, and promoting women’s rights. “Unfortunately, the political class has not yet learned the lesson, and continuing this approach does not bode well for Iraq,” she said.
