Iraqi politicians' failure to form a government has caused intense public frustration according to a report by European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). The former leader Muqtada al-Sadr went from leading government formation efforts to calling for the overthrow of the political system. His supporters have led protests since July calling for new elections. Sadr’s opponents are calling for dialogue to prevent further escalation and persuade him to return to the political process. On Monday, Sadr announced his withdrawal from politics. In a televised address delivered today, Sadr set a one-hour deadline for his supporters to abandon their protests in the fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad. Sadr said, “Within 60 minutes, if the Sadrist movement does not withdraw, including from the sit-in at parliament, then even I will leave the movement”. The outcome of this situation seems to be most likely a snap election, but it is improbable that such a vote will provide a secure way forward.

Iraq’s constitution lays out a timeline for the formation of a government but has no mechanism in place for the holding of another election when the formation process fails. While snap elections are an appropriate mechanism for resolving a deadlock in many democracies, they cannot address the structural weaknesses of Iraq’s political system. In the October 2021 election, turnout was 43.54 percent overall, and just 33.88 percent of Baghdad’s illegible voters turned out. According to the author of the ECFR report, Hamzeh Hadad, another Iraqi parliamentary election will only destroy what's left of the Country’s democracy, especially if the election was held simply to placate Sadr. With the Iraqi public having; long since lost faith in political leaders, the international community must avoid condoning their blatant attempts to subvert the electoral process.