Nouri al-Maliki: Vote to strengthen Iraq’s democracy
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Saturday, State of Law Coalition leader and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki warned that boycotting the November 11 elections would amount to yielding to “evil,” stressing that holding the vote on schedule offers reassurance amid regional tensions.
The coalition, a Shiite-led bloc central to Iraqi politics since 2005, has recently faced defections, including from senior members.
Al-Maliki told supporters during an electoral rally that timely elections affirm the “endurance of Iraq’s democratic experiment” and its ability to weather crises since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s Baath regime.
Acknowledging shortcomings in Iraq's state institutions, he urged political forces to embrace reform, beginning with strengthening those institutions, confining arms to the state, and bolstering security forces.
Read more: Why Iraq’s PMF disarmament is a different battle from Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
