Iraq's Supreme Court ruled Oct. 10 to reject Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's 2015 decision to annul the country's three vice presidential posts in a bid to combat corruption. According to the court, the positions are required by Articles 57 and 69 of the constitution, and to annul them would require a constitutional amendment backed by a majority in Parliament and a national referendum.

The decision is a blow to al-Abadi and the various people and groups who support him, including al-Sadrite movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who has called for massive demonstrations to be held at the end of this week. Al-Sadr views today's decision as a step backward in the Iraqi government's stalled efforts at reform. In contrast, ousted Vice President and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki welcomed the decision. The disagreement is notable, given al-Sadr and al-Maliki are both part of the Shiite National Alliance coalition, which has been trying to unite the Shiite political factions in the country ahead of the 2018 parliamentary elections. Last week, the new alliance leader, Sayyed Amar al-Hakim, was able to unite the rival politicians and other Shiite allies for the first time. However, today's decision threatens to reverse any progress that has been made toward unity. In fact, al-Sadr has already said that he is postponing any further negotiations with the alliance.

Al-Sadr accuses Chief Justice Medhat al-Mahmoud of favoring al-Maliki and has been working for months to remove him from his post on accusations of corruption. The view is widely shared by many Iraqis, who largely feel that al-Maliki is undermining al-Abadi's government at a critical time, when it is fighting the Islamic State and trying to nurture an ailing economy. The disagreement is a prime example of how political infighting is beginning to define Iraqi politics even more than sectarian competition. Today's events also highlight al-Maliki's enduring influence in Baghdad as he works to preserve and expand his role in Shiite groups.