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Asharq Al-Awsat (6 July 2018)

Baghdad – Hamza Mustafa

Internal political moves and regional and international meddling have obstructed the majority of alliances that emerged in wake of the May Iraqi parliamentary elections, noted a prominent Iraqi politician.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he predicted major changes in the political landscape after the manual vote recount is concluded.

A recount of the ballots was ordered after many accusations of corruption were made over the voting process. The recount kicked off on Tuesday in the Kirkuk region. Baghdad, al-Anbar, Salaheddine and Nineveh regions will also witness a recount.

Head of the Sadrist movement, Moqtada al-Sadr emerged as the surprise victor in the elections.

The politician, who is close to a major political party, continued that the recount will not change the results of the elections.

Moreover, he said: “The alliances and understandings that appeared to have been struck hastily after the announcement of the preliminary elections results are doomed to fail due to regional and international meddling.”

This interference, he explained, greatly altered the nature of the political understandings, which will have to wait on the final results of the elections before they can be cemented.

Meanwhile, Sadr posted a series of tweets on Thursday that reflect the extent of foreign meddling in Iraq.

He declared that he rejected the external pressure that is being exerted on the alliances that had emerged victorious in the polls.

“I will not allow Iraq to be ruled from beyond the borders…. Iraq will be run by purely Iraqi national figures and honest alliances,” he stressed.

The prominent politician told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sadr’s tweets were a “pipe dream, because if he was not willing to accept foreign pressure, then someone else will in one way or another.”

“Every side has its own understanding of foreign meddling, whether it is regional or international,” he remarked.

Academic and independent politician Dr. Nadim al-Jaberi, meanwhile, called for staging snap elections “because the legality of the May polls will continue to haunt the upcoming government and legislature.”

“In order to avert a new crisis, the results of the elections must be annulled completely and new polls must be held,” he demanded.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1322606/changes-predicted-iraqi-alliances-vote-recount-continues