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Basra Becomes Battleground For Iraqi Politics

Basra has become Iraq’s latest political battleground as the country’s prominent Shiite factions seek to win over the local population of the majority-Shiite city in southern Iraq.
An Iraqi man casts his vote at a polling station in Basra, 420 km (261 miles) southeast of Baghdad, April 20, 2013. Iraqis voted for provincial councils on Saturday in their first ballot since U.S. troops left the country, a key measure of political strength before parliamentary elections next year. REUTERS/Atef Hassan (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTXYT1X
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The results of the Iraqi provincial elections held April 20 initiated a new political balance between the main Shiite powers in Iraq’s south, particularly in Basra. These powers are the State of Law coalition led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the Citizen’s Coalition led by cleric Ammar al-Hakim and the movement of religious figure Muqtada al-Sadr.

Maliki's coalition won pluralities in seven of the 12 provinces where elections were held; no elections were held in Anbar, Ninevah and Kirkuk, as well as in the three Kurdish provinces of Erbil, Sulaimaniyah and Dohuk.

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