Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr warned on Tuesday that political disputes over ballot boxes and the delay in announcing election results would harm the people rather than the political blocs, urging everyone to exercise restraint and avoid "unforeseen consequences." Meanwhile, militia groups called on their members in Iraq to immediately join their camps, threatening punishment for absentees.
Al-Sadr stated via his official Twitter account, "Political disputes over ballot boxes and the delay in announcing results and pressure on the Electoral Commission will be detrimental to the people, affecting services and exacerbating terrorism among other issues." He added, "We urge everyone to maintain self-control and embrace a national spirit for the sake of the country, committing to legal ways concerning electoral objections, and refraining from resorting to undesirable actions."
Warnings of violence have increased in Iraq following the announcement of parliamentary election results. The latest developments include militia groups in the Popular Mobilization Forces calling on their members to return to their camps and cancel their leaves, threatening immediate dismissal for those who fail to comply.
Previously, the "Fath" Alliance, the political wing of the armed factions, announced its rejection of the Iraqi parliamentary election results. Ahmad al-Asadi, the spokesperson for the Fath Alliance, stated that the alliance's rejection of the election results is not directed at any specific bloc or political entity. He also noted that there has been confusion in the announcement of the election results by the commission and emphasized that the alliance would not forsake the votes of its supporters.
In contrast, the White House congratulated the Iraqi government on Tuesday for conducting the elections, stating that they were held in a largely peaceful atmosphere and indicated that they were awaiting the ratification of the results. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters, "We congratulate the Iraqi government on fulfilling its promise to hold early elections. Once the final results are certified, we hope that members of the new parliament will form a government that reflects the will of the Iraqi people."
Additionally, the head of the European observation mission stated that "the Iraqi elections were well-managed." She added, "Freedom of expression was respected during the Iraqi elections." Viola von Cramon reported to the Iraqi news agency that the Iraqi elections were well-managed, describing the voting day as "calm and peaceful."
The election commission in Iraq announced on Tuesday the opening of a period for submitting objections to the results of the election that took place on Sunday. The cabinet's announcement confirmed the election of 97 women in the legislative elections. According to preliminary results announced by the election commission, Sadr’s bloc secured the highest number of seats in parliament with 73 seats. The "Progress" bloc came in second with 38 seats, while the "State of Law" bloc ranked third with 37 seats. Sadr's bloc topped the results, followed by the "Progress" bloc, and then the "State of Law" bloc.
