Iraqi Elections Hits Roadblock As Shiites Parties Shout Foul Play
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Roshan Amiri
- . December 15, 2021
- . Update: December 17, 2021 6:20 pm
Iraq–Several Shiite parties have filed claims of fraud in the Iraqi elections. This includes Iran-backed militias too. All this could actually lead to delaying of the formation of a new government.
Followers of Iraq’s Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr emerged as clear winners in national elections on October 10, in which they won 73 seats in the 329-seat parliament. Supporters could be seen celebrating openly in the city roads.
In comparison, the Iran-backed Al Fatah Alliance, made up mainly of militias, won only 17 seats, compared with 45 in 2018. This has led to resentment amongst the other Shiites parties and thus rumours over fraudulent actions undertaken in declaring a winner in the elections.
But early this month, the head of Al Fatah Alliance, Hadi Al Amiri, already filed a fraud case at the Iraq Federal Supreme Court, demanding that the election result be annulled. Iraq has been in need of a stable government for a longest time. Post US withdrawal of its troops and Iraq left to fend for itself like Afghanistan, Iraq has taken a brave step ahead to step out of the shadows of Iranian control and govern and run its own show.
Iraq has been working as a puppet setting for Iran’s selfish pursuits of terrorism, weapon trade and power control in the Middle Eastern region. The case was opened on Monday and after a procedural hearing the judge adjourned it until December 22. Speaking to the local media, Hadi Jalo Marie, chairman of the Political Decision think tank in Baghdad said, “Things now will be at standstill in terms of negotiations between the political parties to form the new government.”
It is unclear if the case will delay the ratification of the final results by the same court after sending them by the Independent High Elections Commission early this month. “The fight today is a fight for gaining more time by those who lost the elections because they know a decision to annul the elections is not possible,” Mr Jalo said.
