The loopholes in the constitution were described as a “minefield” by
the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, just 15 months ago. The civil war
of 2006-2008 was sparked by the explosion of some of these mines, and so
were the current demonstrations in the western Sunni provinces. Yet
al-Maliki took advantage of the loopholes, shortcomings and vague
articles to enhance his personal, extra-constitutional power and to
weaken the power of the parliament, the judiciary and independent or
civil society bodies.
Ultimately, al-Maliki and his Dawa Party have managed to create a new
kind of dictatorship. This is a curse not only to the Sunnis, or the
Kurds, or the swaths of Shias, but to the country as a whole.
-- Adnan Hussein, "A new kind of dictatorship" (The New Statesman).