Iraq PM Pressures Political Blocs to Hold Early Elections

A man casts his vote at Baghdad's Karrada district during the 2018 parliamentary elections. (AFP)
A man casts his vote at Baghdad's Karrada district during the 2018 parliamentary elections. (AFP)
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Iraq PM Pressures Political Blocs to Hold Early Elections

A man casts his vote at Baghdad's Karrada district during the 2018 parliamentary elections. (AFP)
A man casts his vote at Baghdad's Karrada district during the 2018 parliamentary elections. (AFP)

Talks are ongoing in Iraq to hold early parliamentary elections, scheduled by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi for June 6, 2021.

During the past two days, President Barham Salih met with Kadhimi and former PM Haidar al-Abadi to discuss the polls. Statements from these meetings gave little details, but underscored the need to hold the elections in secure conditions and limit the possession of weapons in the hands of the state.

However, one recent development has raised questions over the possibility of holding the polls on time. The parliament was supposed to meet for an extraordinary session to address the polls, but it was never held.

The parliament is faced with the challenge of approving a new electoral law, which is a point of contention between the political blocs.

Anti-government protests are demanding that several electoral districts be introduced in the polls to allow the election of new figures to the legislature. Traditional political forces, however, are still placing obstacles in amending the law. Many are demanding that each province be divided into two electoral districts, not several ones, in order to ensure that their candidates retain power.

The Kurds, meanwhile, believe that holding elections in contested areas will not guarantee them fair representation. They fear that their seats will be won by non-Kurdish figures.

MP Hussein Arab told Asharq Al-Awsat that amendments have been proposed to the current electoral law.

The proposals include having one parliamentary seat for each electoral district, or having one electoral district for each province or having four parliamentary seats for each electoral district.

He predicted that the elections will be held on time if the electoral law is approved. The Independent High Electoral Commission has already kicked off its preparations to hold them on the scheduled date.

Former MP Haidar al-Malla appeared more skeptical. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that it would be difficult to hold the polls according to the PM’s date, citing four conditions that should be met first.

He said the electoral law should meet the demands of the popular protests, the stage must be set for the electoral commission to perform its tasks, efforts should be exerted to prevent thugs from manipulating the elections and causes of low turnouts must be addressed.

The PM’s aide for electoral affairs, Hussein al-Hindawi, said the old electoral law will be adopted should parliament fail to approve a new one.

He slammed the old law, saying it had failed to secure free, fair and transparent elections.

He urged parliament to approve a new one that is based on the constitution, which safeguards the principles of justice, equality, democracy and freedom of voting and that says that the people are the source of authority.

The electoral law must not be based on the division of shares and achieving personal interests at the expense of national ones, he added in televised remarks.

Hindawi said Kadhimi’s choice to stage the elections in June 2021 was an appropriate and realistic date and efforts should be exerted to ensure they are held as envisioned.



UN Appalled by Extrajudicial Killings in Khartoum

A Sudanese army soldier gestures from the back of a vehicle as it drives past damaged cars lying along a street in Khartoum on Thursday (AFP photo) 
A Sudanese army soldier gestures from the back of a vehicle as it drives past damaged cars lying along a street in Khartoum on Thursday (AFP photo) 
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UN Appalled by Extrajudicial Killings in Khartoum

A Sudanese army soldier gestures from the back of a vehicle as it drives past damaged cars lying along a street in Khartoum on Thursday (AFP photo) 
A Sudanese army soldier gestures from the back of a vehicle as it drives past damaged cars lying along a street in Khartoum on Thursday (AFP photo) 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Thursday said he was appalled by reports of widespread extrajudicial killings of civilians in Khartoum following its recapture by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on 26 March.

“I am utterly appalled by the credible reports of numerous incidents of summary executions of civilians in several areas of Khartoum, on apparent suspicions that they were collaborating with the Rapid Support Forces,” said Turk.

He then urged the commanders of the Sudanese Armed Forces “to take immediate measures to put an end to arbitrary deprivation of life.”

The UN Commissioner said his Office has reviewed multiple horrific videos posted on social media since 26 March, all of them apparently filmed in southern and eastern Khartoum.

“They show armed men – some in uniform and others in civilian clothes – executing civilians in cold blood, often in public settings. In some videos, perpetrators state that they are punishing supporters of RSF,” he said.

The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has been battling the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, since April 2023.

Last week the army said it had retaken full control of Khartoum after weeks of attacks on the capital by the paramilitaries, though Daglo said his forces had only “repositioned.”

On Thursday, Sudan's paramilitary said they downed an Antonov military plane, the fourth this month, belonging to the Sudanese army near Al Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur State.

The RSF published a video that they said showed the plane wreckage. It said in a statement that the plane dropped “dozens of barrel bombs on innocent civilians in Al Fasher and other Sudanese cities.”

Meanwhile, an activist group said that the RSF killed at least 85 people in one week during attacks south of the capital Khartoum.

“For the seventh consecutive day, the Janjaweed militias continue their violent attacks on villages... west of Jebel Awliya, resulting in the deaths of more than 85 people and the injury of dozens,” said the Sudanese resistance committee, referring to the RSF by the name of its precursor.

Bashir’s Deputy Released

Also on Thursday, Sudanese authorities released former First Vice President Bakri Hassan Saleh and Youssif Abdel Fattah, a former minister.

Saleh and Abdel Fattah are among some 30 officials who are standing trial for their involvement in the June 30, 1989 coup, that brought former Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir to power.

SAF leader Abdel Fattah al Burhan issued the decision based on a judicial ruling that stated the two men need to receive treatment due to deteriorating health conditions.