ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s parliamentary election, as expected, handed a victory to the Sadrist bloc, but also dealt a major defeat to Iran-backed parties. The Fatih Alliance, led by Hadi al-Amiri of the Badr Organization and supported by a range of pro-Iran militia groups, was the second largest bloc in the outgoing parliament with 48 seats. According to preliminary results from Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), it won just 16 seats in Sunday’s vote. Fatih Alliance and several other Shiite parties issued a statement rejecting the result and announcing their intention to appeal, according to AFP. “We will take all available measures to prevent the manipulation of votes,” the statement read. A spokesperson for Katiab Hezbollah Abu Ali al-Askari, whose Huquq Movement won an estimated two seats, called the election the “biggest fraud and scam against the Iraqi people in recent history.” “We will stand up with firmness and determination to restore things to the right place. We will not allow anyone to persecute or attempt to humiliate the sons of Iraq,” he said in a statement published on Telegram channels affiliated with the militias (Popular Mobilization Forces or Hashd al-Shaabi). The downfall of Fatih was not the only surprise. In the 2018 election, former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s Victory Alliance came in third with 42 seats. This year, he joined forces with Shiite cleric Ammar al-Hakim. They went from a combined 61 seats in 2018 to only six seats as the National State Forces Alliance. Abadi’s party also signed the statement rejecting the results, according to AFP. The winner of the election was the Sadrist bloc led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr who won an estimated 75 seats. The Sadrists will maintain their position as the largest parliamentary bloc, but this time they will be doing it alone. In 2018 election, Sadr’s Sairoon alliance, a coalition with the communist party and other smaller groups, secured 54 seats. Sadr on Monday claimed victory and, striking a nationalist tone, warned foreign countries not to interfere in the process of forming the government. Taqadum came a distant second place, a rare achievement for a Sunni party. The party, led by parliamentary speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, secured 37 seats. Halbousi in 2018 was a candidate in the pro-Iran Fatih Alliance and was elected speaker of the parliament. Another surprise was the success of Nouri al-Maliki. He is seen in many corners as the root of Iraq’s current problems that began during his reign as prime minister between 2006 and 2014. Maliki once led the Iraqi parliament with over 90 seats, but in 2018 suffered a defeat after a split with Abadi and gained only 25 seats. This year, he bounced back with 34 seats. The early election was held in response to October 2019 protests complaining of corruption and ineptitude among the ruling class and political system. Emtidad was formed out of the Tishreen (October) protest movement and considers itself the true representatives of thousands of people who took to the streets in 2019 and brought down the government of former prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi. Emtidad won eight seats according to the preliminary results.
