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After a Sunday without incidents or excessive presence, the polls in which the citizens of the country voted to elect a new Parliament closed. However, no announcement of the results is expected until Tuesday. In addition, these legislatures were carried out months ahead of schedule, in response to a young and popular uprising against corruption and political mismanagement.
The legislative elections in Iraq were marked by low turnout. The vote was boycotted by many of the young activists who packed the streets in late 2019, calling for substantial changes in their country. A claim that led to the elections being held in advance, this Sunday, October 10.
“Our future depends on our participation,” Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazemi had warned, after casting his vote early in the morning in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, where much of the foreign embassies and government buildings are located. .
With the polls already closed, the results are expected to be released within the next 48 hours – on Tuesday, October 12 -, according to the independent body that supervises the voting.
However, negotiations to choose a prime minister in charge of forming a government are also expected to drag on for months. A total of 3,449 candidates compete for 329 seats in the nation’s Legislature.
Two election commission officials assured Reuters that voter turnout across the country was 19% as of noon. In the last elections of 2018, the total turnout was 44.5%. And now the polling stations closed at 18:00 local time.
The streets were mostly deserted. In some areas, loudspeakers from mosques were used to urge citizens to vote, while candidates sent encouraging push notifications and audio messages in WhatsApp groups and Telegram chat rooms.
However, according to authorities, the efforts have been unsuccessful.
Two electoral commission officials told Reuters that nationwide turnout of eligible voters was 19 percent by midday. Turnout was 44.5 percent in the last election in 2018. Polls close at 6 pm (1500 GMT). # Iraqelection2021 #Iraq https://t.co/IAD3z2iAav
– Alan Salehzadeh (@AlanSalehzadeh) October 10, 2021
When there were already concerns about a low turnout at the polls, Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazemi continued to urge Iraqis to vote en masse. “Get out there and vote, and change your reality for the good of Iraq and its future,” declared the premier.
Still, apathy has been widespread amid deep skepticism that independent candidates have a chance against established parties and politicians, many of them backed by powerful armed militias.
“I will not vote as long as the same faces and parties exist,” a retired man who identified himself as Abu Aziz told AFP.
More than 250,000 members of the forces across the country were tasked with protecting the electoral process. The army, the police and the antiterrorist forces were deployed outside the polling stations. Voters were also registered, as part of security measures.
What explains the low presence in the Iraq elections?
The anticipation of these elections was the result of pressure from citizen protests nearly two years ago.
And although the authorities relented and called them ahead of schedule in the electoral calendar, the death toll, harsh repression and a series of selective assassinations later led many of those who participated in the demonstrations to call for a boycott at the polls.
Tens of thousands of people who participated in the mass mobilizations were attacked by the security forces with live ammunition and tear gas. More than 600 participants died and thousands more were injured in just a few months.
Despite widespread skepticism, some Iraqis hope these elections will lead to reforms in the country, after decades of corruption and conflict. In contrast, many analysts consider that the changes would be limited.
“The election will likely result in another fragmented Parliament, followed by an opaque and corrupt swap of horses (…) Few expect this election to be more than a game of musical chairs and it is unlikely that the central demands of the movement (of protest ): curb systemic corruption, create jobs and hold armed groups accountable, “wrote researchers Bilal Wahab and Calvin Wilder in an analysis published by the Washington Institute.
Politicians from the Shiite Muslim majority in Iraq dominate the electoral landscape
Even with the low turnout, a close race is expected between the roster of influential Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and the Fatah Alliance, led by paramilitary leader Hadi al-Ameri, who came in second in previous elections.
The Fatah Alliance is made up of parties affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, a group of mostly pro-Iran Shiite militias that rose to prominence during the war against the extremist group Islamic State. It includes some of the toughest pro-Iran factions, such as the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq militia.
Under Iraqi law, the winner of Sunday’s vote will be able to choose the country’s next prime minister, but it is unlikely that any of the competing coalitions will be able to obtain a clear majority. That will require a lengthy process involving clandestine negotiations to select a consensus prime minister and agree to a new coalition government.
With AFP, AP and Reuters
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