SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Leaders from Iran-backed political parties held a meeting with Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Baghdad on Thursday to discuss election results and ease tensions between the parties, according to Iraqi media.
Leaders form Coordination Framework, which rejects the final results of the October parliamentary election, gathered at the house of Hadi al-Amiri, head of al-Fateh alliance, in Baghdad for a meeting with Sadr, whose party was the biggest winner in the election.
Former prime minister and head of State of Law Nouri al-Maliki also attended the meeting.
“The attendees will discuss whether the federal court will reject the results, or order recount of votes,” Bahadin Nuri, a leader from Badr organization, said.
On Tuesday, the Iraqi electoral commission announced the final results of the October 10 parliamentary election, confirming Sadrist movement’s victory as the biggest bloc, with 73 seats in the 329-seat house.
State of Law Alliance won 33 seats, the results showed. A distant second with 17 seats was the al-Fateh Alliance, the political arm of Hashid al-Shaabi.
Analysts have warned that – in a country still recovering from decades of war and chaos, and where most parties have armed wings – political disputes could spark a dangerous escalation.
On November 7, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi escaped unhurt when an explosive-packed drone hit his Baghdad residence. The attack was not claimed by any group.
On Nov. 26, Sadr called for the detention of perpetrators involved in the attack on Kadhimi’s residence, saying it “stirs up sedition and destabilize the security of Iraq”.
Eight officers have been arrested on charges of negligence in probing the assassination attempt, national security advisor Qasem al-Araji said on Monday.
Kadhimi said earlier this month that those who were behind the attack were well-known. But the security advisor said the investigation had not discovered who was behind the attacks.
The attack came amid rising tensions over the results of the parliamentary election on October 10.
*This story was updated at 02:14 p.m. EBL time
