Iraq's First Election After the Declaration of 'ISIS Defeat' Held

Iraq's nationwide elections began at 7 AM on Saturday, May 22, in various regions of the country under heavy security measures and concluded on the same evening. According to the Associated Press, results are expected to be announced within the next 48 hours, but negotiations for selecting a new prime minister may take months. Saturday's elections are the first national elections since the Iraqi government announced the defeat of the 'Islamic State group' about six months ago. The Iraqi parliament has 329 seats, and around 7,000 candidates are competing for these seats. The term of office in the Iraqi parliament is four years, and the President and Prime Minister are elected by the members of parliament. Iraqi media, citing security officials, reported that there was no violence in the early hours of voting, despite previous threats from ISIS to attack polling stations. Iraq has a population of about 38 million, with over 29 million eligible voters in this election. Years of conflict with ISIS have left around two million displaced in Iraq, and the Independent Electoral Commission has made arrangements to allow them to vote. The United States and Arab countries in the region have strongly criticized Iran's actions in Iraq, labeling them as 'interventionist' and 'destabilizing.' Ayatollah Ali Sistani, a Shiite religious authority in Iraq, emphasized the 'right to vote for citizens' without supporting any candidates and urged the people not to vote for 'corrupt politicians.' Various political parties and coalitions have formed to participate in this election, and reports suggest that the coalition led by current Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has a slight lead over others. Mr. Abadi, who leads the 'Victory Coalition,' has seen a slight increase in popularity after the 'defeat of ISIS,' but according to Reuters, economic problems in Iraq have fueled criticism against him. In the previous elections, Haider al-Abadi won through the 'State of Law Coalition.' The 'State of Law Coalition,' led by Nouri al-Maliki, the Vice President of Iraq, is also one of the major coalitions in this election. Shiite militias, which have fought ISIS in recent years under the title 'Popular Mobilization Forces,' are participating in the elections led by Hadi al-Amiri with a coalition known as 'Fatah Alliance.' Muqtada al-Sadr, an influential Shiite cleric, has formed a coalition called 'Sairoon' (meaning 'Marching Towards Reforms') with the Iraqi Communist Party and is one of the main coalitions in this election. Sunni religious groups have mainly gathered around the 'Baghdad Alliance,' while Kurdish groups are participating in the elections with the 'Kurdistan Peace Alliance.' The 'National Coalition,' led by Iyad Allawi, and the 'Hikma Movement,' led by Ammar al-Hakim, are other major coalitions and parties in this election. Of the 329 seats in the Iraqi parliament, 9 are allocated to minorities, which includes five seats for Christians and four seats for the Mandaean Sabians, Yazidis, Shabak, and Feyli Kurds. This is the fourth nationwide election since the fall of Saddam Hussein, the former dictator of Iraq.