What does London’s Iraqi diaspora think of new PM Allawi?
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Many Iraqi Londoners are already acquainted with Mohammed Tawfik al-Allawi, prime minister-designate of Iraq.
The politician, a British citizen who spent several years living in exile in London, faces mixed expectations among the diaspora. While friends and acquaintances of the PM-designate trust he will have a positive impact on Iraq, many other Iraqis are skeptical of his ability to affect change.
Alla Khatteb, who claims to have been close friends with Allawi for seven years in London, told Rudaw that, if the PM-designate is given the chance, he will resolve many of Iraq’s issues.
“What makes Mr. Allawi special is that he is very calm and doesn’t rush to decisions. He isn’t reactionary. He has to be supported… to be able to impose his vision on the political blocs,” Khatteb said.
Khatteb further argued that “stable relations” between Baghdad and Erbil were important, maintaining that Allawi “fully believes” in the importance of such a relationship.
Allawi moved to London in 1989, following 12 years in exile in Lebanon for his political activism. In London, he built a business and obtained British citizenship. He lived in Acton, West London.
Haider Yasseri, restaurant owner, says he has been friends with Allawi for 20 years. He told Rudaw the PM-designate often ate at his restaurant and particularly enjoyed eating Kebab and Qozi (lamb meat on rice).
“Mohammed Allawi is renowned among the Iraqi diaspora in London. He is transparent and, because of his foreign relations, he may be able to bring stability to the current situation in Iraq,” Yasseri said.
Other Iraqi Londoners, however, believe the hurdles Allawi faces are far higher than his abilities will permit him to clear.
“I don’t believe that Allawi, or any other person for that matter, can alone affect change in Iraq, because Iraq is a complicated country,” Diyar Issa, a Kurdish Londoner, told Rudaw.
“I don’t think Mr. Tawfik al-Allawi can implement British policies because there is a great difference between the British and Iraqi societies,” Hussein al-Rafie, an Iraqi Londoner, told Rudaw.
The PM-designate, who was tasked by President Barham Salih on February 1, 2020 to form a cabinet, has already faced pressure from various parties for their inclusion in the new government.
Allawi inherits a chaotic atmosphere, with Iraq having witnessed more than five months of popular protests demanding change in a country plagued with corruption and instability. Since the onset of demonstrations on October 1, 2019, the protesters have been met with deadly violence, with 600 dead and thousands injured.
The PM threatened to resign last Wednesday following Sadrist violence against demonstrators in Najaf. Most of the protesters have rejected Allawi’s designation as prime minister, even prior to his formation of a government.
This is not the first senior post Allawi has occupied. The PM-designate was elected for two consecutive terms as a member of parliament and served as minister of communications, but resigned twice, allegedly for disagreements with then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki over corruption, according to Middle East Eye.