Marina Ottaway, Omar Hossino
{
"authors": [
"Marina Ottaway"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Iraq"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Foreign Policy"
]
}Source: Getty
Iraq Prepares for Upcoming Provincial Elections
Fifteen million Iraqis are expected to turn out to vote in upcoming provincial elections. While the distribution of power between the Shiite and Sunni will not change, there is the possibility that elections may redistribute power among Shiite and Sunni organizations.
Source: The Takeaway

Ottaway cautions that the election will not change anything drastically in a political system where power is concentrated with the central government. While the distribution of power between the Shiite and Sunni will not change, there is the possibility that elections may redistribute power among Shiite and Sunni organizations: There is an evolving breakdown in the Shiite coalition, and many of the Sunni parties in power may not fair well, offering the best prospect for change before the national elections at the end of the year.
About the Author
Former Senior Associate, Middle East Program
Before joining the Endowment, Ottaway carried out research in Africa and in the Middle East for many years and taught at the University of Addis Ababa, the University of Zambia, the American University in Cairo, and the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.
- Reactions to the Syrian National InitiativeArticle
- Slow Return to Normal Politics in EgyptArticle
Marina Ottaway
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
- Bombing Campaigns Do Not Bring About Democracy. Nor Does Regime Change Without a Plan.Commentary
Just look at Iraq in 1991.
Marwan Muasher
- Iran and the New Geopolitical MomentCommentary
A coalition of states is seeking to avert a U.S. attack, and Israel is in the forefront of their mind.
Michael Young
- Baku Proceeds With Caution as Ethnic Azeris Join Protests in Neighboring IranCommentary
Baku may allow radical nationalists to publicly discuss “reunification” with Azeri Iranians, but the president and key officials prefer not to comment publicly on the protests in Iran.
Bashir Kitachaev
- The Hezbollah Disarmament Debate Hits IraqCommentary
Beirut and Baghdad are both watching how the other seeks to give the state a monopoly of weapons.
Hasan Hamra
- Iran’s Woes Aren’t Only DomesticCommentary
The country’s leadership is increasingly uneasy about multiple challenges from the Levant to the South Caucasus.
Armenak Tokmajyan