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IHEC announces full results of parliamentary elections

IHEC announces full results of parliamentary elections

IHEC has announced the full results of the country’s October 10 parliamentary elections…reports Asian Lite news

The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has announced the full results of the country’s October 10 parliamentary elections, showing prominent Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s party taking the lead.

Judge Jalil Adnan Khalaf, chairman of the Board of Commissioners at IHEC, announced the results at a press conference, without giving details on the political entities or the numbers of seats won by major competing political blocs, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

IHEC announces full results of parliamentary elections

The full results, released after a manual counting of the election votes, have no tangible change from the initial results announced on October 11.

JUDGE JALIL ADNAN KHALAF, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, IHEC: “The full results are still preliminary and can be appealed to the Board of Commissioners, and the board’s decisions about the appeals also can be appealed to the electoral judiciary board, whose decisions will be final.”

According to local media reports, the initial results showed al-Sadr’s party, the Sadrist Movement, leading with more than 70 seats, whereas former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s party, the State of Law Coalition, securing about 35 seats in Baghdad and other central and southern provinces.

The Al-Fateh Coalition (Conquest), which includes some Shiite militias of Hashd Shaabi, garnered about 14 seats, while the Imtidad Movement won nine seats, mainly in the southern province of Dhi Qar.

The political alliance known as Taqaddum, or Progress, headed by outgoing parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, won about 40 seats in Baghdad and other Sunni provinces.

ALSO READ: Iraq announces success in early voting for parliamentary polls

The Kurdistan Democratic Party, headed by Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, won most seats of the Kurdish parties with about 32 seats, mainly in Erbil and Duhok.

The Iraqi parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for 2022, were advanced in response to months of protests against corruption and a lack of public services.

There were a total of 3,249 candidates vying for 329 seats.

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Iraqi Prez calls for calm amid a dispute over poll results

Iraqi Prez calls for calm amid a dispute over poll results

The Iraqi parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for 2022, were held in advance in response to months of protests against corruption, poor governance and a lack of public services…reports Asian Lite News

Iraqi President Barham Salih urged people who have objected to the results of the early parliamentary elections to calm down and resort to law in an effort preserve the country’s stability.

“We call on all parties to adopt a responsible national stance, keep calm, and avoid any escalation that might affect societal peace and security,” Salih said in a statement issued by the presidency media office.

Iraqi Prez calls for calm amid a dispute over poll results

Meanwhile, Salih urged the electoral commission and the judiciary to follow up on all complaints and appeals submitted by those who reject the election results with high professionalism, responsibility, and complete impartiality.

On Monday, the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced the preliminary results of early parliamentary elections, with the Sadrist Movement led by the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the lead with more than 70 seats, while the al-Fateh Coalition (Conquest), which includes some Shia militias of Hashd Shaabi, garnered about 17 seats after becoming one of the leading blocs in the previous 2018 elections.

However, the Imtidad Movement, whose members joined the 2019 mass protests against corruption and mismanagement, also won about nine seats.

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The initial results were surprising to many political parties, who denounced the early elections as manipulation and fraud and warned that they will not accept the “fabricated results” whatever the cost is.

The Iraqi parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for 2022, were held in advance in response to months of protests against corruption, poor governance and a lack of public services.

In the polls, 3,249 candidates within 167 parties and coalitions competed for 329 seats in the upcoming parliament.

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Moqtada al-Sadr set conditions to deal with the US if he takes office

Moqtada al-Sadr set conditions to deal with the US if he takes office

Iraq’s prominent Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has set several conditions to deal with the US if his Sadrist Movement takes office…reports Asian Lite News

One of the conditions is that the diplomatic relations between the US and Iraq should be “state-to-state with full sovereignty”, al-Sadr tweeted on Saturday, after his party appeared the frontrunner in the October 10 parliamentary elections.

Al-Sadr noted that the talks should be serious about the US troops’ withdrawal from Iraq.

Moqtada al-Sadr set conditions to deal with the US if he takes office

He also called on Washington not to interfere in internal affairs and to keep Iraq away from the regional conflicts.

On Monday, the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission announced the preliminary results of the elections, with the Sadrist Movement in the lead with more than 70 seats.

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The Iraqi parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for 2022, were held in advance in response to months of protests against corruption, poor governance, and a lack of public services.

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Iraq News World

Iraq announces success in early voting for parliamentary polls

Iraq announces success in early voting for parliamentary polls

Iraqi authorities announced the success of the early voting with a 69 per cent turnout ahead of snap parliamentary elections…reports Asian Lite News

Judge Jalil Adnan Khalaf, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners at the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), said in a press conference that the participation in Friday’s early voting “indicates the beginning of successful legislative elections”, reports Xinhua news agency

Iraq announces success in early voting for parliamentary polls

Khalaf stressed that no irregularities were registered during the early voting, and the results of early voting will be combined with the result of Sunday’s snap elections, which will be announced 24 hours after the end of the general polls.

However, an IHEC statement posted on its official website showed that 821,800 voters cast their ballots out of 1,196,524, which is 69 per cent of the early voting voters across the country.

Early voting for Iraq’s security forces, prisoners, and displaced people began at 7 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m.

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The Iraqi parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for 2022, were advanced in response to months of protests against corruption and a lack of public services.

According to the electoral commission, about 24 million Iraqis are eligible to cast their ballots for 3,249 candidates, running individually and within 167 parties and coalitions, vying for 329 seats in the legislature.

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UAE, Iraq discuss joint parliamentary cooperation

UAE, Iraq discuss joint parliamentary cooperation

The two sides also affirmed the importance of joint parliamentary cooperation to serve Arab and Islamic issues and rallying support for issues of top priorities at international parliamentary gatherings…reports Asian Lite News

Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of Federal National Council, FNC, welcomed today Muhammad Al-Halbousi, Speaker of Iraq’s House of Representatives, to discuss ways of bolstering of parliamentary friendship and cooperation between the two houses and coordinating stances and consultations towards regional and international issues of mutual interest.

UAE, Iraq discuss joint parliamentary cooperation

The two sides also affirmed the importance of joint parliamentary cooperation to serve Arab and Islamic issues and rallying support for issues of top priorities at international parliamentary gatherings. They also suggested the creation of a joint parliamentary friendship committee to realise the aspirations of the two countries in several areas, help exchange expertise and knowledge and best practices to serve parliamentary diplomacy and promote parliamentary legislative and supervisory frameworks.

ALSO READ: Iraq, US agree to reduce combat units

Saqr Ghobash extended an invitation to Al-Halbousi to visit Expo 2020 Dubai.

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Iraq, US agree to reduce combat units

The two sides agreed to reduce the combat units from the military bases in Ayn al-Asad in the Anbar province, and Erbil in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan….reports Asian Lite News

The Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) announced that the domestic forces and US military have agreed to reduce combat units in two bases by the end of this month.

The agreement was reached during a meeting held on Thursday in Baghdad between an Iraqi committee headed by JOC’s Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir al-Shammari and an American committee headed by Maj. Gen. John Brennan, commanding general of the US-led coalition forces in Iraq, the Command said in a statement on Friday.

The two sides agreed to reduce the combat units from the military bases in Ayn al-Asad in the Anbar province, and Erbil in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.

The reduction of US units will be completed by the end of this month, and the remaining units will be for support, equipment, and intelligence sharing purposes, it added.

The meeting was part of what was agreed upon during the US-Iraqi Strategic Dialogue in July, when the two sides agreed to withdraw all American combat troops from Iraq by December 31, 2021.

The two sides also agreed to hold regular sessions to complete the discussion of the remaining steps to secure the transition to a non-combat role for the US-led coalition forces.

The Strategic Dialogue sessions between Iraq and the US were initiated on June 11, 2020, under the Strategic Framework Agreement signed in 2008 between Baghdad and Washington.

The relation between the two countries strained after January 3, 2020, when a US drone struck a convoy at Baghdad airport, which killed Qasem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq’s paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.

The Iraqi parliament passed a resolution two days later, requiring the government to end the presence of foreign forces in Iraq.

The US airstrike also pushed unidentified militias to launch a series of rocket and mortar attacks on Iraqi military bases housing troops across Iraq, as well as the American embassy in the Green Zone in central Baghdad.

The tension pushed the two sides to launch sessions of strategic dialogue during which the S pledged to cut its troops in the country.

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Iraq PM arrives in Tehran on official visit, meets Iranian president

The statement indicated that Kadhimi will meet with a number of Iranian leaders and will discuss “files of common interest… as well as bilateral coordination…reports Asian Lite News

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi headed a government delegation to Tehran on Sunday for an official visit at the invitation of Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, state news agency INA reported.

The INA correspondent said that “the bilateral meeting between Al-Kadhimi and Raisi began a short time ago in the capital, Tehran.”

Kadhimi said in a statement before departure that “the visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations, open up prospects for cooperation in various fields, and focus on the depth of the relationship between the two friendly countries.”

The statement indicated that Kadhimi will meet with a number of Iranian leaders and will discuss “files of common interest… as well as bilateral coordination on regional and international issues.”

Drones target northern Iraqi airport

Meanwhile, explosives-laden drones targeted Irbil international airport in northern Iraq late Saturday where US-led coalition troops are stationed with no reports of casualties, according to security forces and officials in Kurdish-run region.

Kurdistan’s Counter-Terrorism Service said at least two drones carrying explosives targeted the airport in a statement. It said the attack did not lead to any casualties.

Lawk Ghafuri, spokesman for the semi-autonomous northern region, said the explosives struck outside of the airport and dismissed reports the attack had impacted flights. He said the airport remained open and an investigation was ongoing by Kurdish authorities.

The attack is the first following a two month lull in drone and rocket attacks to target the US presence in Baghdad and military bases across Iraq. On July 8, rockets landed in and around the heavily fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, which houses the US Embassy. It caused material damage but no casualties.

Until recently the attacks were a frequent occurrence. The US has blamed Iran-backed militias for attacks. More recently, the attacks have become more sophisticated, with militants using drones instead of Katyusha rockets.

US forces will end their combat mission in Iraq by the end of this year, but will continue to train and advise the Iraqi military. There are currently 2,500 US troops in Iraq helping local forces counter what remains of the Daesh group.

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Death toll from IS attack in Northern Iraq rises to 12

During the early hours of Sunday morning, the news agency reported seven deaths….reports Asian Lite News

The number of police officers killed in the Islamic State (IS) terrorist attack in Iraq’s northern Kirkuk Governorate rose to 12, Shafaq News reported, citing security sources.

During the early hours of Sunday morning, the news agency reported seven deaths.

IS militants attacked the 19th Brigade, 2nd Regiment of the Federal Police in the village of Tal al-Steih. The attack also left three officers injured.

On August 29, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Iraqi President Barham Salih that the operation against IS is not over, but is entering a new phase. There are currently 2,500 US troops in Iraq assisting local forces to counter the terrorist group.

In July, US President Joe Biden said that by the end of 2021, the US combat mission in Iraq would come to a close and after December 31, the US will be expected to switch to training and assisting Iraqi forces to counter the IS. (ANI)

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IS attack on funeral kills 13 in Iraq

The attack took place on Friday evening when IS militants attacked a funeral tent in the village of Albu Jily near the town of Yathrib….reports Asian Lite News

At least 13 people were killed and 45 others injured in an attack by carried out by the Islamic State (IS) terror group on a funeral and a nearby checkpoint in Iraq’s Salahudin province, a police source said on Saturday.

The attack took place on Friday evening when IS militants attacked a funeral tent in the village of Albu Jily near the town of Yathrib, some 80 km north of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua.

The IS militants also attacked a nearby checkpoint in the village, al-Bazi said, adding that three policemen were among the killed.

The security forces sealed off the scene as reinforcement troops arrived in the area, he added.

Islamic State

A medical source from Balad Hospital said that they received 13 bodies with bullet wounds, while 45 wounded others were admitted for treatment, some of them in critical condition.

A brief statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command confirmed the attack, adding that details were to be released later.

Salahudin Provincial Governor Ammar al-Jaber condemned the deadly attack in a statement, stressing the security forces will launch an investigation into the incident to bring the perpetrators to justice.

During the past months, the terror group have intensified their attacks on the Iraqi security forces in the province the militants previously controlled, leaving dozens dead and wounded.

The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS terrorists across the country late in 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.

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Two rockets fired near US embassy in Baghdad

The announcement came on the heels of Biden’s decision to withdraw fully from Afghanistan nearly 20 years after the U.S. launched that war in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks….reports Asian Lite News

Two rockets were fired early Thursday against Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone which houses the US embassy, without causing any casualties or damage, according to Iraqi officials.

The dawn attack came as Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi was flying home from Washington after White House talks in which President Joe Biden announced an end to US combat operations in Iraq.

Even before Biden took office, the main U.S. focus has been assisting Iraqi forces, not fighting on their behalf. And Biden did not say if he planned to reduce the number of troops in Iraq, now about 2,500.

The announcement came on the heels of Biden’s decision to withdraw fully from Afghanistan nearly 20 years after the U.S. launched that war in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Together, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have heavily taxed the U.S. military and kept it from devoting more attention to a rising China, which the Biden administration calls the biggest long-term security challenge.

For years, U.S. troops have played support roles in Iraq and in neighboring Syria, which was the origin of the Islamic State group that swept across the border in 2014 and captured large swaths of Iraqi territory, prompting the U.S. to send troops back to Iraq that year.

Kurdish security forces, known as Peshmerga, assemble outside the town of Bashiqah, some 30 km northeast of Mosul, Iraq

Speaking to reporters during an Oval Office session with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Biden said his administration remained committed to a partnership with Iraq — a relationship that has been increasingly complicated by Iranian-backed Iraqi militia groups.

The militias want all U.S. troops out of Iraq immediately and have periodically attacked bases that house American troops.

Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Concerned Veterans for America, said U.S. troops will remain at risk.

“Regardless of whether their deployment is called a combat mission, U.S. troops will remain under regular attack as long as they remain in Iraq,” Caldwell said in a statement.

“An American military presence in Iraq is not necessary for our safety and only risks the loss of more American life.”

Biden said the U.S. military will continue to assist Iraq in its fight against the Islamic State group, or ISIS. A joint U.S.-Iraq statement said the security relationship will be focused on training, advising and intelligence-sharing.

“Our shared fight against ISIS is critical for the stability of the region and our counterterrorism operation will continue, even as we shift to this new phase we’re going to be talking about,” Biden said.

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