Demonstrators protesting the election results: eight candidates won after the appeals
Shafaq News/ The Coordination Committee of the Demonstrations and Sit-ins protesting the election results commended the Iraqi Judiciary's decision in favor of eight candidates from the defeated Shiite political forces.
The Committee's statement said that the "honest Judiciacy" redressed the candidates and retrieved their votes and seats. "This resonates with what prompted us to hit the streets in the first place. We yelled ourselves hoarse while demanding to pay heeds for it."
The Committee called for "prosecuting al-Kadhimi, whoever ordered and executed shouting. It is an unnegotiable demand. We reiterate the need to hold a hand recount under the auspices of the honest Judiciary and bring the members of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to justice to be punished for their high treason."
The results of the early parliamentary election showed the Sadrist movement maintaining the most seats in parliament, leading in several of Iraq's 18 provinces, including the capital, Baghdad. Al-Sadr, a controversial leader remembered for leading an insurgency against U.S. forces after the 2003 invasion, appeared to have increased his movement's seats in the 329-member parliament from 54 in 2018 to 73.
With 94% of the ballot boxes counted, none of the competing political blocs appeared on track to win a majority in parliament and consequently name a prime minister. But as the results stand, al-Sadr's bloc will be able to take a leading role in the political horse-trading to find a compromise candidate and set the political agenda for the next four years.
The State of Low Coalition, led by the former Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki, secured 37 seats, fours seat behind al-Taqaddom (Progress) bloc led by the Sunni Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Muhammad al-Halboosi.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by the Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani has won 32 seats; twice more than Iran's favorite al-Fatah Alliance, which toll of seats diminished to 14 only from 48 in the 2018 elections.
