(Baghdad) The current of Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr won the October 10 legislative elections in Iraq, becoming the first bloc in parliament with 73 seats, according to the final results released on Tuesday.
Almost two months after the polls were held, the electoral commission confirmed the victory of the Sadrist current at the expense of the Alliance of Conquest, a political showcase for the former pro-Iran paramilitaries of Hachd al-Chaabi, which had no stop crying fraud.
In a statement, several pro-Iran forces, including the Conquest Alliance, rejected the results, accusing the electoral commission of rigging them. They assured that they would continue the legal action to “annul the elections”.
The final results had been expected for several weeks in a context of latent tensions which culminated in early November with a drone bomb attack on the residence in Baghdad of Prime Minister Moustafa al-Kazimi who escaped unscathed. The attack has not been claimed.
During a press conference in Baghdad, the members of the electoral commission read in turn the names of the 329 deputies of the new parliament and the number of votes obtained by each. The participation rate was 44%.
According to the results sent to the press by the commission, the party of the influential Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr won 73 seats, making it the first bloc in parliament.
The Conquest Alliance won 17 seats against 48 in the outgoing assembly.
“Neither manipulation nor fraud”
Denouncing fraud, supporters of Hachd al-Chaabi have been organizing a sit-in for weeks at one of the entrances to the green zone, sometimes trying to force their way into this ultra-secure sector hosting government authorities and embassies.
“The international community supported the Iraqi elections […] because no manipulation or fraud has been recorded, ”the electoral commission said in a statement in the evening.
Despite its failure, Hachd al-Chaabi remains a key player on the political scene, with the support of Iran and its 160,000 combatants integrated into the regular forces. Iran’s big Shiite neighbor exerts a strong influence in Iraq.
The Hachd first entered parliament in 2018, riding victories against the jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) group.
It can also count on the game of alliances: one of its key partners, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, has made a notable breakthrough, his “rule of law coalition” winning 33 seats.
The final results must be sent to the Federal Court for approval. Parliament will then be able to hold its inaugural session and then elect the President of the Republic.
“Risk of escalation”
At the same time, negotiations must continue on the formation of the government.
In a multi-faith and multi-ethnic Iraq, this process is accompanied by endless negotiations and the major parties dominating the Shiite community, the majority in Iraq, must traditionally come to a compromise, regardless of the number of deputies.
Mr. Sadr’s positions are diametrically opposed to those of pro-Iran formations, which want to perpetuate the tradition of compromise.
Repeating tirelessly that the future prime minister will be appointed by his current, Moqtada Sadr calls for a government made up of the political parties having obtained the highest scores.
An unprecedented fact, he could seek to build his own parliamentary majority by allying himself with other formations, outside the Shiite community. Analysts evoke a possible coalition with the influential Sunni leader of the Parliament Mohamed al-Halboussi (37 deputies for his current Taqadom), and the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (31 deputies).
“It is a question of seeing who will give in to the pressure of the other camp,” said analyst Hamdi Malik, of the Washington Institute, speaking of the Sadrist current and the Hachd. “So far neither side has given in. This is why the risk of escalation and clashes is high at this stage. ”