Militias protest after losses in Iraqi election
The results of Iraq's Oct. 10 parliamentary elections came as a shock to political parties affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Units, as they lost more than half of their seats in parliament.
BAGHDAD — Supporters of political parties associated with militias which lost big in the last elections have been protesting for seven days now near the international Green Zone where most government buildings and foreign embassies are located.
Following the announcement of the Oct. 10 parliamentary election results, many supporters of the militias — unhappy with their leaders’ losses at the polls — took to the streets and claimed the elections were rigged against them.
The groups blamed parties such as the United Arab Emirates, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and the Independent High Electoral Commission for their loss, as well as Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi due to — in their words — his "suspicious" role in organizing the elections.
The European Union responded in a statement: “Such violent manifestations have no place in a democracy. The EU recalls that voting on Iraq's election day was largely peaceful, orderly and well-organized, and voters were able to freely express their will, as assessed by the EU Election Observation Mission.”
