Criticism from Iran-aligned parties and factions continues regarding the parliamentary elections that took place last Sunday in Iraq, indicating potential escalation in the country. Following the evident loss or decline recorded by the Fatah Alliance, militias known as "Wilayah" (referring to their allegiance to Tehran) have launched a fierce campaign against the professionalism and credibility of this election, which took place with the participation of international observers.
The "Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq" militia had previously rejected the election results, and on Monday, the "Saraya Awliya al-Dam" threatened the UN representative in Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, calling her a "wicked old woman." On Thursday, Abu Ali al-Askari, known as the spokesperson for Hezbollah in Iraq, renewed his accusations, directly accusing Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi of election fraud. He claimed in a tweet that al-Kadhimi "dared, along with some of his intelligence followers, to falsify the results in agreement with influential political parties." He also accused him of artificially increasing the number of allied parliamentary seats to 15, including 9 belonging to the Al-Mustaqill Movement, despite them only garnering around 4,600 votes, according to his claims.
Additionally, he called for revealing what he termed technical malfunctions and significant failures. He urged for a campaign of objections and demonstrations, expressing his support for all candidates whose votes were stolen, and intensifying protests and objections to restore rights to their rightful owners. This spokesperson had previously stated in a statement on Monday that "what happened in the elections represents the largest act of fraud and deception against the Iraqi people in modern history."
It is noteworthy that over the past days, Iranian-aligned forces in Iraq condemned what they described as "manipulation and fraud" in the results of the electoral process, following a significant decline in this entitlement, indicating a very difficult path ahead for political bloc negotiations in Parliament aimed at forming the largest bloc that will have the decisive say in forming the government. After being the second force in the outgoing Parliament, the Fatah Alliance, representing the Popular Mobilization Forces and including factions loyal to Tehran, experienced a considerable decline in the new Parliament. The preliminary results released by the High Electoral Commission indicated that the Sadrist Movement, led by Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, emerged in the lead, securing over 70 seats in the 329-seat parliament.
