Iraq's elections 2021: What are the implications of the Sadrist movement's release of the early election results?

Media Follow-up Section
BBC

October 13, 2021, 13:02 GMT

picture released, AHMAD AL-RUBAYE

Arab newspapers highlighted the preliminary results of the early legislative elections, which were issued by the Sadrist movement.

The Al-Fateh Alliance, which represents the Popular Mobilization, recorded a significant decline in the new parliament, according to preliminary results.

Iraqi parties announced their intention to challenge the results of the early legislative elections, denouncing the occurrence of “manipulation” and “fraud”.

Hopes ‘largely dashed’

Sami Al-Zubaidi says in the Iraqi era: “The Iraqis are divided into two groups. The first – and they are a few – believe that these elections will bring about change, even if it is in the minimum limits. It is better than nothing, that is, better than the same old faces remaining dominating the political scene in the country. This section has passed away. A limited change that has no effect on the political process, and the presence of a small number of twenty to thirty new members of the Tishreen, civilians and independents in the House of Representatives, cannot make major changes in anything. The influential parties and blocs will remain the ones who achieve the largest bloc, and thus the government will be formed.

The writer continues: “The second section sees that these elections did not bring about the desired change and their justifications are reasonable. The presence of political money and weapons that are not in vain, but rather are controlled, and the important positions of the state are in the hands of influential parties and blocs does not give space for any new party or any civil bloc or other to compete, even, not Obtaining seats in the House of Representatives, and the large blocs will compete and will even struggle to obtain the largest bloc by voting or otherwise, and things will remain as it is.

In the same vein, Al-Quds Al-Arabi says in its editorial that “the results of the recent parliamentary elections in Iraq did not result in unexpected surprises in terms of the balances of political, sectarian and partisan forces, despite the progress or decline that characterized the outcome of this or that team.”

The newspaper adds: “Perhaps the most important conclusion lies in the fact that many of the hopes that appeared to have been pinned on the early elections, as part of their direct connection with the widespread popular uprising in late 2019, have been greatly disappointed on the one hand, and on the other hand, they have sanctified most of the fait accompli data that prevailed after the 2018 elections.”

As for Abdul-Sattar Ramadan, in the Iraqi Rudaw, “these elections are considered an achievement and the achievement of the first goal of the October uprising and their insistence on holding early elections, whose uprising and sacrifices were the main reason and engine for changing the government of Adel Abdul-Mahdi and the formation of the Al-Kazemi government, and represented an achievement for the Iraqi armed forces of various titles and names, which were able to Maintaining security and order and quick access to election centers, and there was no curfew in Iraq during the elections, which is an achievement and a gain recorded for the government, which was able to provide security and control of weapons.

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The Sadrist movement issued the results of the early parliamentary elections in Iraq

The writer adds that “these elections were the key to change in Iraq and the door to hope for reform and the desired change, but the reluctance of a large percentage of the (young) voters to participate constitutes a great paradox that deserves study and analysis, and the announcement of the electoral results will constitute a shock or an electric shock to many political parties and blocs that It has dominated the political scene in Iraq since 2003.”

Consolidating the foundations of the Iraqi state

The London-based opinion said in its editorial that “the results of the Iraqi parliamentary elections, which were full of shocking surprises, were joyful for the parliamentary blocs that won more seats, or shocked by sadness, anger, and disappointment, with respect to their counterpart, some of which seats fell to more than 90% in some cases.” .

The newspaper adds that “the main Shiite blocs loyal to Iran denounce and completely reject the results of the elections, due to the occurrence of fraud and fraud, according to their leaders, a warning of the possibility of political and perhaps military clashes, and sharp ideological and sectarian divisions in the coming weeks and months, especially since these blocs are the ones who own weapons and equipment.” heavy military power, and form a parallel army.

Tariq al-Hamid says in the Middle East that “it is true that there is a not large turnout in the Iraqi elections, but it is hoped that these Iraqi elections will be a consolidation of the foundations of the Iraqi state, and a major step to weaken the forces that are working to weaken Iraq internally and externally… Therefore, it is hoped that it will proceed The electoral process, and its aftermath, without external interference, whether Iranian or American, and we must pay attention to the threats launched in Iraq with the intent of intimidation to change the announced results.

The writer adds that “Iraq is a model for that rejection of Iranian influence, where activists and the people of Iraq who love their country gave their lives to defend their country against Iranian influence, and for Iraq to be a state of law, not a state of militias like Lebanon or Syria.”