Maliki tightens control and marginalises opposition

Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki is continuing his campaign to establish total control over Iraq’s political institutions, including parliament, the judiciary, security forces, electoral oversight mechanisms and economy. In recent months, he has successfully marginalised the Sunni-backed Iraqiya coalition and is manoeuvring the Kurdish bloc into an isolated position against which he hopes to range a broad Iraqi Arab nationalist coalition.