Can Adnan Al-Zurfi Save Iraq From Its Political Stalemate?

Prime Minister-designate, Adnan Al-Zurfi, only has 30 days (from March 16) to form his government, but the mounting opposition to his appointment can seriously hamper his efforts to form a government. For this reason, Zurfi has been conducting negotiations directly with Members of Parliament who are potential allies, away from the leaders of the various political blocs and coalitions. Although there is a strong likelihood that his efforts will fail, nevertheless, his opportunistic bargaining skills give him an advantage, which should not be ignored.

In the end, and in an atmosphere of political ambivalence from all sides, Iraq’s President tasked Adnan Al-Zurfi with the post of Prime Minister

In the end, and in an atmosphere of political ambivalence from all sides, Iraq’s President tasked Adnan Al-Zurfi with the post of Prime Minister. Zurfi is seen as one of the main architects in the escalation of the recent demonstrations in Iraq, which kicked off October 1, 2019. His apparent political affinity with the demonstrators and his vocal defense of their demands gained him wide support among the protesters, and his name began circulating alongside many other hopefuls as a potential candidate to be the next Prime Minister. Following the failure of Muhammed Tawfiq Allawi to form a government, the Prime Minister-designate’s baton has now been passed to Adnan Al-Zurfi to see if he can make it to the finishing line – at least without taking a tumble or two on his way there.

Zurfi was born in Najaf, where he attended the University of Kufa and obtained both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degrees in Islamic Jurisprudence. He was active in the Islamic Da’wa Party, which resulted in a sentence of life imprisonment under the Ba’ath regime. During the civil unrest that erupted in conjunction with the popular uprising in 1991, in the wake of the Persian Gulf War and Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, Zurfi escaped from the notorious Abu Ghraib prison and found his way to Saudi Arabia. Then in 1994 he emigrated to the United States, where he lived and obtained citizenship until the fall of Saddam’s regime in 2003.

Not long after he returned to Iraq, he was appointed Governor of Najaf, a position which he held between 2004-2005. From 2006 until 2009, he held the post of Assistant Undersecretary of the Information Agency at the Ministry of Interior. In 2009, he formed Al-Wafa Movement and held the post of governor of Najaf until 2015.

The numerous urban construction projects he initiated in Najaf governorate, as well as the unprecedented social freedoms he granted to the youth, brought him popularity amongst certain social circles. However, as a result of the economic crisis that hit Iraq following the invasion of Da’ish in 2014 and accusations of corruption, he left the post of Governor as he departed to the United States. Zurfi returned to Iraq after he was acquitted of the charges of financial corruption and was then elected as a Member of Parliament in Najaf in 2018 under former Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi’s Nasr coalition list. He was then chosen to be Nasr’s parliamentary bloc leader.

Zurfi’s most recent rapprochement with Muqtada al-Sadr and his active support for the many acts of violence perpetrated by the “Sadrists” in Najaf, drew numerous accusations against him, which he has so far failed to refute.

Adnan Al-Zurfi is undeniably a politician but even more so he is a political manipulator, a zeitgeist, who is advancing his career by all the political means at his disposal, and he does not hesitate to declare openly that the ends justify the means. He is also a seasoned and skilled politician who uses all available tools to reach his goals. On his political path to the Peace Palace to meet President Barham Salih, he secured the initial support of parliamentarians from a variety of parliamentary blocs or coalitions, including Fateh, Sairoon, State of Law, Hikma, and Al-Wataniya. Fateh Coalition, led by Hadi Al-Amiri, announced its complete rejection of what it described as an “unconstitutional step” by the President in appointing a candidate outside the constitutional parameters that stipulate the nomination of a candidate by the largest bloc.

Some observers believe that Zurfi’s chances of securing parliament’s approval of his cabinet and forming an interim government are somewhat greater than the previous incumbent, Muhammed Tawfiq Allawi, given that he has the support and backing of the United States.

On Tuesday, 17 March 2020, Muhammed Tawfiq Allawi, the person who was first tasked with forming the interim government posted a statement on social media stating that the person in charge of forming the next interim government, namely Adnan Al-Zurfi, will become embroiled in a conflict with the political class if he decides to appoint competent ministers who have integrity.

As for the protesters, they continue to insist on a government being formed that is independent of the influence and patronage of the existing political parties and not subject to any external or foreign loyalties. Hence, the rejection by the masses of the status quo and their insistence on an independent Prime Minister, constitutes the biggest obstacle in Zurfi’s path to the premiership.

The question that remains is, will Adnan Al-Zurfi succeed in extricating the country out of its political stalemate? Only the limited time he has remaining will tell.