A Western diplomat told Reuters that Quds Force Commander Ismail Qaani is in Baghdad to monitor the announcement of preliminary results for the Iraqi elections. The diplomat confirmed that Qaani is seeking a way to keep Tehran’s allies in power by meeting with Iran-affiliated militias. Two Iranian sources also confirmed Qaani's presence in Baghdad at this time.
Meanwhile, a commander of an Iran-aligned militia told Reuters that armed groups are prepared to resort to violence if necessary to ensure they do not lose their influence, adding that part of their plans includes taking to the streets or burning buildings belonging to the Sadrist movement.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi confirmed the success of the security plan and the implementation of all necessary precautions during the electoral process. Meanwhile, the head of the Fatah Alliance, Hadi al-Amiri, announced that they would not accept the results at any cost, labeling them as fabricated. Former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi stated that he would challenge the results, threatening to take all necessary measures to prevent any manipulation of voters' voices.
These positions coincide with the beginning of the High Electoral Commission’s acceptance of appeals today, which will last for three days, noting that the results from some polling stations are still being counted.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party warned against the threat of street protests, stating that this would lead to catastrophic results in Iraq, asserting that the Iraqi elections were fair and that overall rejection would create chaos.
The head of the European observer mission stated, "The Iraqi elections were managed well." She added, "Freedom of expression was respected during the Iraqi elections." The Iraqi News Agency reported on Tuesday that Viola von Cramon stated that the Iraqi elections were well-managed and that the polling day was "calm and peaceful." She confirmed that voters cast their ballots easily, noting that the mission observed "the dispatch of more than 100 observers in addition to 59 diplomats from the European Union." She emphasized that freedom of expression was respected during the elections and indicated that an assessment report of the electoral process will be submitted to the new parliament.
For its part, the Iraqi Electoral Commission announced on Tuesday the opening of the appeal process for the election results that took place on Sunday, according to the Iraqi News Agency. The agency reported on Tuesday that the Cabinet Secretariat announced the victory of 97 women in the legislative elections. The Sadrist bloc secured the highest number of seats in parliament, according to preliminary results announced yesterday by the Electoral Commission during the special and general voting, with a total of 73 seats. The preliminary results also showed that the Progress bloc came in second place with 38 seats, while the State of Law bloc came in third with 37 seats in parliament.
