No one ever imagined that the conditions in Iraq would deteriorate in the manner witnessed today.
Iraq is occupied and the north of the country is under constant attack. The poor villagers are displaced, while the Iraqi government does not dare to even protest or condemn.
Iraq's sovereignty is impinged upon in broad daylight, while the country's huge security machine stands helpless.
The US decided that Iraq would embrace democracy. Elections have taken place, in the hope that whoever was elected would deliver the basic needs for a decent life.
However, voters soon found that their basic rights were even further out of reach.
The members of the political elite who reside in the Green Zone have used votes as a red carpet to enter a world of exceptional services and distinctions. The new elite soon forgot the hardship of Iraqis who live in cities and villages. They no longer remember the sad stories they had promised to address when they ran for office.
Today, four months after the most recent elections, Iraq is witnessing a dangerous political vacuum. The elected Iraqi parliament convened so that its members could take the oath, but the members of the political elite continue to compete for power, while the problems encountered by Iraqis spiral out of control.
The political elite is responsible for the deteriorating situation, which threatens to explode while they struggle for positions in the government.
Instead of finding solutions to the daily problems of the people as in other democracies, politicians have come to master the art of bargaining amongst themselves. Millions of Iraqis are suffering the hardship of unemployment, water and electricity shortages, while watching the corrupt politicians become richer.
Boiling point
The scorching summer temperatures exacerbate the people's discontent, causing emotions to flare up, especially since the Ministry of Electricity has followed the rest of the government in failing to provide services.
Official documents show that $17 billion (Dh62.5 billion) has been spent on electricity generation over the past seven years. However, Iraqis are receiving less electricity and now have to make do with a meagre four hours of power in extremely high temperatures.
This set off the spark of anger in the incendiary atmosphere of Basra, the richest governorate, but the most impoverished in terms of services. Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets on June 19, holding banners that read: "Today we protest and tomorrow we will revolt". During the demonstrations, protesters threw stones at the Governing Council building and security forces fired on them, killing two and wounding two others.
Further violent demonstrations followed in Nasiriyah, Karbala, Ramadi and other locations around the country. Journalists joined the protests against the deteriorating conditions across the country.
Clamping down
The government sent its security forces to stop the demonstrations in other areas and refused to allow them to take place despite the fact that the right to protest is enshrined in the Constitution.
The demonstrations were not spontaneous, as some might think. The question to be asked — amidst the highly tense atmosphere, in which political blocs are struggling for the right to fill the post of prime minister — is who is profiting from these protests?
The people who stand to gain, to differing degrees, are the ones who are competing for the post of prime minister. Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and the Al Dawa party over which he presides are suffering the most damage because the demonstrations target the weak performance of the government and the governorates council, whose members are mostly Al Dawa party members.
Amidst this agitation, the Tribal Council of the South announced itself as the leader and director of the protesting masses. This new development is another indicator of the fact that tribal leaders are equally discontented and distrusting of the government, which promised them better conditions without actually delivering on any of its promises.
The council also announced that the protests will continue until the government starts providing proper services.
The message from the people on the street is a few years late — the protests should have started earlier to cleanse the Iraqi body of sectarianism and corruption.
However, better late than never, and the message is loud and clear. This is a warning for the coming Iraqi government, whose members must realise that they have to allow the Iraqi parliament to function properly.
A snowball gains size and momentum as it rolls. However, the heated Iraqi conditions make it inappropriate to talk about a snowball.
This is more a fireball that will soon blaze all over the country from Basra outwards, fuelled by the blood, sweat and tears of the oppressed people of Iraq.
Dr Mohammad Akef Jamal is an Iraqi writer based in Dubai.
