A coalition led by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani emerged as the winner in Iraq's parliamentary election, marking a regime continuation. The Independent High Electoral Commission said on Wednesday that his coalition received 1.317 million votes in Tuesday's election. He won 370,000 more than the next closest competitor.
Al-Sudani, a prominent Iraqi politician who became Prime Minister in 2022, heads the coalition of seven political forces, including Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) chairman Faleh al-Fayyad; Minister of Labour Ahmed al-Asadi; and Karbala Governor Nassif al-Khattabi. The coalition also includes influential tribal leaders (sheikhs) and some 53 incumbent MPs.
Though al-Sudani hailed the voter turnout of 56 per cent as evidence of his success, analysts say the voters were disillusioned and saw the elections “as a vehicle for established parties to divide Iraq’s oil wealth”. There was also a widespread boycott of the election in areas like Baghdad and Najaf, following a call by populist Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr.
His coalition, too, is facing challenges, but al-Sudani appeared confident. He stressed his decision to begin negotiations to form a strong government following his coalition’s lead in the elections. He stated: “We will consider the interests of everyone, including those who chose to boycott the elections, because Iraq belongs to everyone and will remain for everyone.”
The coalition is currently in a week form, as allegations have surfaced that Parliamentary seats become bargaining chips in the formation of the government. The coalition partners may claim that, will likely leverage the prime minister’s current power to further their own popularity and grab lucrative deals. “None of the political factions or movements over the past 20 years have been able to gain a total majority … that allows one bloc to choose a prime minister, so at the end, this is going to lead to rounds of negotiations and bargaining among political factions,” according to Al Jazeera.
There are other geopolitical implications, with Iran and the US vying for influence in the country since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq toppled the dictator Saddam Hussein. Though the country’s politics have been dominated by its Shiite Muslim majority, and many of its parties are close to Iran, Washington now has the upper hand. It is said that the Trump administration will not accept leaders in the next government who are close to Iran.