Al-Maliki government turns into dictatorship’

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Authorities in Baghdad want to run the country like a dictatorship that recalls Saddam Hussein’s rule by using anti-democratic and sectarian policies, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) top cleric.

“There is sectarianism in Iraq, especially against Sunnis,” Dr. Molla Basher al-Hadad told the Hürriyet Daily News Nov. 19 on the sidelines of the Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul. Al-Hadad said the problems regarding sectarianism and democracy were increasing day by day in Iraq.

The religious leader said the biggest reason for the conflict between Arbil and Baghdad was Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s violations of the Constitution.

“Eighty-five percent of Iraqis have approved the Constitution in Iraq, but it is not being implemented by the government in Baghdad. It has to be implemented now in order to prevent cruelty from coming to Iraq again,” he said.

Al-Hadad said Turkey, Iran and the United States should pressure the al-Maliki government to force him to implement the charter in Iraq.