Hashd al-Shaabi joins US in opposing the postponement of elections in Iraq

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi factions expressed their opposition to attempts to postpone parliamentary and provincial council elections in Iraq scheduled to be held in May. 

Hadi al-Amiri, Head of the al-Badr Organization militia, on Thursday, announced his opposition to the postponement of the upcoming elections, calling on all political parties to participate and preserve the word of the Iraqi Constitution.

Amiri, who is also the leader of the Hashd al-Shaabi’s al-Fath Coalition running in the next elections, declared the group “insists on holding the elections on the scheduled date in order to preserve the Constitution and urge all sides to participate.”

Postponing the elections would lead the country into uncertainty, Amiri added.

“I hope all parliament members work on preserving the Constitution and make sure the elections are held on the scheduled date,” he stated.

Qais al-Khazali, Commander of Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia group, who is also part of the al-Fath coalition, in a series of tweets, said that attempts by some MPs, looking to extend their term through the postponement of the elections, were focused on their personal interests rather than Iraq’s.

He added that any delay would be a clear violation of the constitution and would lead the country into uncertainty, something that is “unacceptable.”

On Wednesday, the US Embassy in Baghdad issued a statement announcing Washington’s opposition to the postponement of the elections scheduled for May 12, 2018.

The statement read that “the US government strongly supports the Iraqi national elections in May 2018 in line with Iraq’s constitution.”

Editing by Nadia Riva