Iraq's parliamentary elections of November 11 with a 55-percent turnout marked a turning point in establishing a relative political order after years of instability. The swift formation of parliament's presidium and the initiation of the process to elect a president initially suggested that Baghdad might, unlike previous years, adhere to the constitutional timeline for forming a new government. However, the moment the selection of a prime minister began, the political landscape became gripped by a palpable paralysis, with Nouri al-Maliki's name at its very center.
