Shiite political parties unite after decisive wins in Iraq’s local elections
▶ Co-ordination Framework bloc to be formed after three alliances sweep vote amid low turnout
Iran-backed Shiite political parties in Iraq have said they will unite to negotiate forming local governments after winning major seats in provincial council elections this week.
Monday’s provincial elections were Iraq’s first in more than a decade and are seen as an important snapshot of the balance of power in the country, where various political factions – some aligned with neighbouring Iran – are vying for influence.
But the election drew a turnout of only 41 per cent, as supporters of Iraq’s influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and other pro-reform Iraqis boycotted the vote.
This paved the way for three electoral alliances led by powerful Shiite militia groups, former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki, and cleric Ammar Al Hakim to sweep the elections in nine Shiite-dominated provinces. They also performed strongly in Baghdad, which has a Shiite majority.
The three groups are the main pillars of the Co-ordination Framework, the biggest bloc in parliament, which formed the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani.
After contesting the elections individually, the parties agreed to form a unified coalition called the Co-ordination Framework Bloc in each province to “expedite forming the local councils”, it said after a meeting late on Wednesday.
Nabni Alliance, which gathers powerful Iran-backed Shiite militias, came first in the provinces of Babil, Dhi Qar, Diwaniyah, Najaf and Maysan. It came second in Baghdad, Al Muthana and Basra.
Mr Al Maliki’s State of Law alliance came first in the province of Al Muthana and second in provinces including Maysan, Diwaniyah, Dhi Qar and Najaf.
It was third in provinces such as Baghdad and Basra.
The third group, Mr Al Hakim’s State Forces Alliance, also performed well in the Shiite-dominated provinces compared with its performance in the 2021 national elections.
Together, they won 101 of the 285 available seats on provincial councils, Iraq News Agency reported, based on the preliminary results for 94.4 per cent of the ballots announced by the Independent High Electoral Commission on Tuesday. Nabni took the most seats of the three groups, with 43, followed by the State of Law Alliance with 35 and the State Forces Alliance with 23, INA said.
The move will strengthen their position in negotiations with other factions, including in Basra, where a list backed by popular independent governor Asaad Al Eidani won most seats, and in Baghdad, where ousted Sunni parliament speaker Mohammed Al Halbousi came first.
Mr Al Halbousi’s Taqadum Alliance won 22 seats, INA said. He is likely to join forces with Sunni tycoon Khamis Al Khanjar’s Siyyada Party, which took 14 seats, to form what would be the largest Sunni bloc.
Both Sunni leaders joined forces with the Co-ordination Framework in Parliament to form the government in October last year.
“The number of our seats will
Supporters of Iraq’s influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr and other pro-reform Iraqis boycotted the vote
definitely increase when other smaller lists and individual candidates linked to CF inside will join us,” a member of the Co-ordination Framework told The National on Thursday.
“We will have a strong a position in the upcoming negotiations when final results are announced mainly in Baghdad and Basra. It’s hard to lose strong presence in these provinces.”
Mr Al Sadr’s decision to boycott the elections came after he ordered his supporters to resign and withdraw from the political process last year.
This followed a year-long political deadlock around forming a government, which allowed Mr Al Sadr’s rivals to strengthen their presence in Parliament.
The election boycott “diminishes its legitimacy domestically and internationally, and reduces the influence of corrupt individuals in our beloved Iraq”, Mr Al Sadr told his supporters last month.