Six months on from elections, Iraqis frustrated by political deadlock

Long delays are typical when forming a government in Iraq – with power-sharing talks between political blocs typically lasting around five and a half months. But six months on from Iraq's last parliamentary elections, those discussions are simply not happening.

The biggest winner at the polls, Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, refuses to include his top rivals, an alliance of pro-Iran parties, in any forthcoming government.

Ordinary citizens are suffering from the fallout from this standstill. Construction manager Muhannad al-Asadi usually has 10 projects on the go on the outskirts of Baghdad, but the political situation has brought most of his work to a halt.

"Most of the funds for infrastructure projects for roads, sewage, electricity, etc. are all funded by the federal budget," al-Asadi said. "Since the government hasn’t been formed, the budget hasn’t been submitted, let alone approved."

Al-Asadi couldn't hide his frustration with the political situation: "We went to vote, now it's time for politicians to step up and work together, form a government and move this country forward," he said.