Iraq held its parliamentary elections on 11th November, the seventh since the US overthrow of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship in 2003. It’s a memorable date no doubt, and the results are also memorable for being questionable, since Iranian-backed militias and allies have secured over a hundred seats in the new parliament. The results are surprising as much as they are worrying for many Iraqis and observers.

Neither the Iraqi people, nor informed observers are convinced that the results really reflect the opinions of the majority of the Iraqi public, who have, in no uncertain terms, manifested their anger and disdain for the pro-Iran political clique that has ruled the country for the last two decades. 

It is very difficult to comprehend that Iraqis voted, in their millions, to sustain a corrupt and oppressive clique, especially those who were the perpetrators of the Heist of the Century, where, according to former finance minister, Ali Allawi, that no less than $12.5 billion was syphoned out of the Iraqi Tax Authority account; $2.5 billion of it was taken in cash from the state-owned Rafidain Bank in 2022, in broad day light. It was taken in trucks, with approvals from senior officials during the term of the weak and militia-infiltrated Kadhimi government. 

The Election Commission announced that the turnout was 56 per cent, even though the number of those who voted were only 12 million, out of almost 30 million Iraqis eligible to vote. It seems the Commission had calculated the number of actual voters, against those who had registered to vote, not against those were eligible to vote. Cynics say the elections were rigged electronically and the official turnout of 56 per cent might well refer to ‘Law 56’, which deals with fraudsters and crooks. 

A screenshot of an internal monitor of the Iraqi Election Commission computer, is circulating in the social media, believed to be released by one employee of the Commission. It shows clearly that the number of actual voters at the closing of polls was 8,119,143. This means that at least two million votes were added electronically to the actual number of voters in order to boost the chances of the pro-Iran candidates. Many observers and interlocutors attribute this win of the militias’ candidates to this ‘zombie’........

© Middle East Monitor