Shiite Opposition of UN Supervision of Iraqi Elections Grows

Iraqis stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Mosul, Iraq in 2018. (Reuters)
Iraqis stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Mosul, Iraq in 2018. (Reuters)
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Shiite Opposition of UN Supervision of Iraqi Elections Grows

Iraqis stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Mosul, Iraq in 2018. (Reuters)
Iraqis stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Mosul, Iraq in 2018. (Reuters)

Despite the recent dispute that erupted between the Sadrist movement, led by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, and head of the State of Law coalition, headed by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, both Shiite sides are united in their opposition of United Nations supervision of the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections.

The Sadrists and Maliki have recently traded accusations over the vehicle that was used during the 2006-2008 sectarian war to carry out assassinations.

Debate over the “Batta”, Arabic for duck, erupted after former Sunni MP Mashaan al-Jabbouri accused the Sadrist movement of seeking to take over the premiership after the upcoming elections.

He stated that the “Sunnis do not aspire to become the PM’s ‘Batta’ driver.”

Maliki, for his part, announced that he was keen on becoming prime minister if he was asked, vowing to crack down on the “Batta”, provoking the Sadrists.

Pro-Sadr minister Mohammed Saleh al-Iraqi slammed the former PM’s statement, saying: “The ‘Batta’ is the only option for corrupt figures who sold out a third of Iraq to ISIS.”

He made his comments in reference to accusations that Maliki was to blame for the fall of Mosul and other Iraqi cities in ISIS’ clutches when it swept across Iraq in 2014.

The proposed issue of UN supervision of the October elections has started to create new divisions in Iraq. The move has not been opposed by Sunnis and Kurds, but Shiite blocs have objected, alleging that the supervisors would violate the country’s sovereignty.

Recent visits to Iran by UN envoy to Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein have been interpreted as attempts to promote the idea of international supervision. The results of the visits were not revealed, but observers interpreted them as efforts to convince Iran that the UN officials would not undermine Iraqi sovereignty or deprive the Shiite political blocs of their control over political decisions.

State of Law coalition MP Gatah al-Rekabi said: “Any sovereign state that respects itself cannot accept international supervision.”

“Iraq does not need to ask the UN or any other international side to oversee the elections. We support the idea of monitors, who can ensure the transparency of the elections,” he added.

Monitors have been brought in to oversee elections since 2003.

Rekabi said there are fears that the supervisors may work for political powers against others through the manipulation of the votes.

Maliki himself has objected to the supervision, declaring in televised remarks that such a move “would be very dangerous.”

“No country in the world accepts supervisors of the elections because that is a violation of sovereignty,” he said, while expressing his support for “monitors alone”.

Member of Sadr’s Sairoon bloc Riad al-Masoudi said all elections in the world are held under international monitors.

“The supervision can take place over the electoral process and not the actual organization of the elections,” he explained, adding: “This means that neither the UN nor any other international side can stage the polls.”



Iran to Support Hezbollah Militarily if Israel Launches War on Lebanon

An Israeli firefighter works to extinguish fires ignited by missiles launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon (Reuters)
An Israeli firefighter works to extinguish fires ignited by missiles launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon (Reuters)
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Iran to Support Hezbollah Militarily if Israel Launches War on Lebanon

An Israeli firefighter works to extinguish fires ignited by missiles launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon (Reuters)
An Israeli firefighter works to extinguish fires ignited by missiles launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon (Reuters)

Iran announced its readiness to support Hezbollah militarily in the event that Israel launches a large-scale war on Lebanon.

An advisor to the Iranian leader, Kamal Kharrazi, said that his country “will do its best to support [Hezbollah] if Israel launched a large-scale war against Lebanon,” the official Lebanese National News Agency reported.

In response to a question on whether Iran would support the party militarily in case of a large-scale conflict erupting in Lebanon, Kharrazi, who also serves as head of the Iranian Strategic Council for International Relations, indicated that “in such a case, Tehran will not have any other option.”

He continued: “We will have no choice but to support [Hezbollah] with all the means and capabilities available to us.”

The Iranian position comes in conjunction with Israeli threats to expand the war, and the Israeli army’s preparations in the north for a wide-scale confrontation in Lebanon.

“We are determined to continue fighting until the war goals of destroying the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, the return of the kidnappers, and the safe return of residents in the north and south to their homes are achieved,” the Israeli army said, adding: “We are strengthening preparations for war on the northern front against Hezbollah.”

However, these statements come in parallel with other leaks that suggest that the army was not ready for a large-scale war. An article published by the New York Times said that Israeli generals believe that their forces, which are “underequipped for further fighting after Israel’s longest war in decades... need time to recuperate in case a land war breaks out against Hezbollah.”

“A truce with Hamas could also make it easier to reach a deal with Hezbollah, according to the officials, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters,” the NY Times article read.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that a house in Kiryat Shmona was hit by projectiles fired from Lebanon, while Israeli attacks in South Lebanon killed a farmer who had remained in his town despite the onslaught.

The NNA said that an Israeli drone attacked the town of Taybeh in South Lebanon with three missiles, with one of them hitting an electricity transformer.