Yousef Yacoub Matti: We must build a united but decentralized Iraq despite external efforts to keep Iraqis divided

ANKAWA, Iraq — Speaking at the second conference in support of federalism in Iraq, Head of the Beth Nahrin Patriotic Union (HBA) Mr. Yusuf Yacoub Matti highlighted the fragility of the Iraqi federal system, arguing that institutions in other countries are more responsive to change and adapt their policy approaches to achieve positive results but in Iraq, these traits are absent. This, said Matti, has allowed Iraq’s neighbors to impose their own desires and policies on the country

In his speech, Yousef Matti wondered aloud whether or not, since 1921, the Iraqi people have been able to develop a stable state. Iraq lacks a national political ideology that brings its diverse population together, he continued, noting that the country remains captive to partisan, nationalist, and religious ideologies.

At the end of his speech, Matti argued for more decentralization and the building of a truly federal Iraq. Such reform would come at a cost, as externals powers want to keep Iraq disunited and Iraq’s splintered for their own benefit.