Iraq announces initiative to contain election results crisis

Iraqi President Barham Salih yesterday met with Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Faiq Zaidan, to discuss an initiative to contain the crisis resulting from the latest parliamentary elections held in October.

The presidency said in a statement that the officials discussed the latest developments in the country along with an initiative that will be presented to the country’s national forces which includes basic principles for resolving the current crisis, in order to move towards achieving national benefits by forming an effective government that protects Iraq’s higher interests.

They also called for resolving the electoral complaints and appeals in accordance with the law, considering this as a basis for addressing issues related to the elections, “emphasising the importance of maintaining the highest levels of care, professionalism and impartiality in resolving them, in a manner that enhances confidence in the electoral process.”

They also stressed the necessity of “enhancing security and stability in the country, strengthening civil and societal peace, uniting ranks, dialogue and protecting the democratic path”.

Since last month, Iraq has been experiencing political tensions, after pro-Iran armed factions rejected the preliminary results of the elections, saying that they were “fabricated”, demanding a manual recount of the votes.

The Sadrist Bloc made big gains in Iraq’s parliamentary election on 10 October, taking 74 seats in the 329-member parliament.

The country’s election commission has yet to announce the final results of an ongoing recount.

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