Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared in a televised speech Oct. 10 both that he would head to the United States at the end of the month and that he intended to run for a third term in upcoming elections. The timing of the announcements was not a coincidence, but rather an attempt to get the foreign support Maliki needs for his candidacy. Meanwhile, objections to his methods of government are multiplying around the country.

Maliki’s second term has seen broad political disputes take place. His actions have been seen as the result of intensive Iranian support coupled with American blessings. It seems that Maliki is counting on persisting Iranian and American support to win a third term as prime minister. However, the course that the Iraqi sociopolitical situation has been taking shows that this support is not in the interest of the United States and Iran, and that it will hurt their national interests in Iraq for the following reasons:

First, the Iraqi people are still new to the democratic system, and they have warned against any attempt to restore dictatorship to the country. There are many obsessions and concerns in this regard, especially since the Iraqi parliament’s attempt to forbid Maliki’s candidacy for a third term was rejected in federal court, which is accused of colluding with the Prime Minister’s Office. Moreover, Maliki’s latest statement noted that his son Ahmad is in charge of major security and political responsibilities for the office. This has stirred the anger of the Iraqi people and of many political leaders, including Maliki’s opponents and some leaders in the Islamic Dawa Party that he represents in the government.

Second, the worsening sectarian crisis in the region is closely linked to the Iraqi situation, which was already delicate. Maliki’s rule reignited the sectarian crisis in Iraq after it had lain dormant for the past few years. Maliki has used controversial methods to remove his opponents from positions of authority, and he has made statements that hold sectarian connotations for his opponents. Moreover, he has failed to carry out the law against sectarian violence in the case of insurgents and those who provoke sectarian strife, such as militias, speakers and activists.