Former PM Kadhimi: Vote shows Iraqis turning toward new leadership
Mustafa al-Kadhimi told Al-Monitor that the strong performances of parties that ran on their own, as opposed to those on lists, indicate a desire to shake up the status quo.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi says the results of this month’s elections indicate voters’ desires for new leadership, despite some establishment parties performing fairly well. The ex-premier’s comments come as prominent Shiite politicians jostle over who will become the next head of government.
Kadhimi argued that the results show that many voters want change, pointing to the gains made by historically smaller parties.
“The outcome of the November elections in the Shiite-majority areas is indicative of public appetite for the younger generation of leaders and political parties rather than the older veteran politicians,” Kadhimi told Al-Monitor on Tuesday.
Iraqis headed to the polls on Nov. 11, voting for the seventh time since the US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Despite Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development list coming in first place (winning 46 seats), it is far short of a majority in the 329-member parliament. The process of forming a government will require coalition-building and lengthy negotiations among different stakeholders.
