Firstly, in light of the general antipathy towards the political class, especially following the protests that erupted in October 2019, tribes are wary of being seen to be engaging too closely or too publicly with the country’s politicians. By positioning themselves politically as the “true representatives of the people,” tribes are seeking to loosen the grip of the parties, or at the very least to reframe their relationships to them in order shift from being a purely mobilizing force that serves the interests of the party, to becoming more assertive political actors in their own right. Instead, recent political changes have allowed tribes to push for a new and potentially more powerful role. It would be a mistake, however, to see this as evidence that tribal power has diminished. Unlike past years, political leaders are not tripping over each other to visit tribal mudhaief, or guest houses, put on lavish feasts, and distribute gifts, from pistols to plots of land, in search of tribal support.
10 elections approach, the large tribal gatherings and celebrations at which the country’s political blocs would normally seek to court tribes and sheikhs are noticeably absent.
Tribes have long been recognized as a key player in Iraqi politics.
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