The political conflict in Iraq, even in its most complex stages, has always been related to the bitter struggle surrounding the new form of the state, in particular in terms of the faltering implementation over the years of a decentralized system as provided for in Article 116 of the constitution, regarding the administration of the state.

One may agree with the American researcher Michael Knights that the conflict between “recentralizers” and “decentralizers” is the most substantial challenge facing Iraq's political future.

Despite that Iraqi political forces have repeatedly changed their positions from centralization to decentralization over the past decade, recent positions led to the formation of a front composed of political forces such as the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan (DPAK), the Sunni Mutahidoun (United) Coalition, the Al-Ahrar Movement headed by the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, and the Supreme Islamic Council (ISCI) led by Shiite cleric Ammar al-Hakim. This front succeeded on June 23, 2013, in introducing significant amendments to the provincial administration law for conferring great powers to Iraqi local governments. It is worth mentioning that the State of Law coalition led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki objected to this amended law, but failed to prevent its implementation.

Of course, one may not assume that the Iraqi prime minister is alone in objecting to the consecration of a decentralized Iraqi state, but today he is the most prominent representative of those in favor of centralization, which justifies that he objects to the promulgation of the law.