Allawi Refuses to Repeat Scenario of 2010 Elections

Iraq's former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi speaks to reporters during a news conference in Baghdad March 20, 2016. REUTERS/Khalid Al Mousily/Files

Iraqi political parties are engaging in talks over the upcoming local and general elections, which are scheduled to be held in mid-May.
 
As the majority of Shi'ite parties have voiced their rejection of any postponement, other political forces have preferred to delay the proposed date to resolve pending matters including the displaced and the reconstruction of governorates destroyed during the war against ISIS.
 
According to Ihsan Al-Shamri, who is close to the government, “one of the ruling political leaders called for the formation of an interim government in exchange for accepting the postponement of the elections.”
 
While he refused to reveal the name of that leader, Shamri stressed in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi “is committed to holding the elections on time, despite pressure being exerted on him, because the delay would lead the country to a new cycle of problems.”
 
In parallel, Ayad Allawi, vice-president of the Iraqi National List, hinted at the possibility of postponing the elections in the absence of the adequate conditions.
 
“Whether the elections are postponed or not is up to the Parliament and the Cabinet, but we stress the need for the right atmosphere to conduct them,” he said during a ceremony organized by Al-Wefaq party on the occasion of the Iraqi Army Day.
 
Allawi went on to say that most of the elections that took place in the past “were not accurate or correct, and today there are serious problems plaguing Iraq; including the problem of the displaced and the crisis with Kurdistan, and all this needs to be resolved so we can hold the elections.”
 
A source close to Al-Wefaq revealed that Allawi was leading intensive negotiations with a wide spectrum of personalities and political parties. While the latter called for not repeating the experience of the 2010 elections with regards to foreign and regional interference, the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Allawi did not want a scenario similar to the 2010 polls, especially in terms of his presidency of the “Iraqiya” alliance, which gathered the majority of leading Sunni figures.
 
The source explains that both Al-Wefaq and Allawi parties did not want to engage in a sectarian or national alliance that does not fulfill the aspirations of the Iraqi people.