Muqtada al-Sadr calls for full acceptance of Iraqi election result

“The United Nations Security Council's support for the election results gives a beautiful image to Iraq’s democracy.”

Dler S. Mohammed 2021/10/24 13:47

Populist Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr looks on during a press conference. (Photo: AP)

Iraq Iraqi 2021 elections Muqtada al-Sadr

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The populist Shia leader and politician Muqtada al-Sadr has stated that the United Nations Security Council’s affirmation that Iraq’s election results are legitimate should convince those claiming the results are fraudulent to change their minds.

“The United Nations Security Council's support for the election results gives a beautiful image to Iraq’s democracy,” Sadr said in a statement published on his Twitter page on Saturday. “I hope the United Nations Security Council support gives relief to those sides who believe there has been fraud in the elections.”

In a statement released on Friday, the Security Council congratulated the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people.

“The members of the Security Council welcomed interim reports that the elections proceeded smoothly and featured significant technical and procedural improvements from previous Iraqi elections,” the statement read.

It also said the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) successfully conducted “a technically sound election.”

Pro-Iran parties lost many of their parliamentary seats in the election, particularly the Fatah Alliance. They have accused IHEC of committing fraud and rejected the results, leading to fears of violence from their armed paramilitaries.

“The members of the Security Council deplored the recent threats of violence against UNAMI (United Nations Assistance Mission Iraq), IHEC personnel, and others,” the Security Council statement said.

In his Saturday statement, Sadr also warned against dragging the country into chaos and instability.

“I call on all sides to accept the results of the election,” he said.

The Sadrist Movement won the largest number of parliamentary seats in the election. As a result, Sadr is widely expected to be the kingmaker in forming the next Iraqi government.