Iraq’s election results have drawn a mixed response from political parties, casting doubt on their ability to reach an agreement to form the new government.
After weeks of dealing with about 1,500 complaints and recounting some of the ballots, Iraq’s Independent High Elections Commission confirmed the final results of October's poll on Tuesday.
The political bloc sponsored by prominent Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr won 73 seats in the 329-seat parliament, followed by Taqadum party, led by Sunni Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al Halbousi, with 37 seats, and former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law bloc was third with 33 seats.
Al Fatah bloc, made up mainly of pro-Iran Shiite militias, lost out, with only 17 seats, compared to the 45 seats it won in 2018.
The recounts of contested ballot boxes have only affected five seats, in five provinces – Baghdad, Nineveh, Erbil, Basra and Kirkuk.
Al Fatah and the Kurdistan Alliance got two new seats each, while Sunni Azim coalition, led by tycoon Khamis Al Khanjar got one seat.
Shortly after announcing the results, Mr Al Sadr launched the hashtag #ThankYouElectionCommisson on Twitter, which trended mainly among his followers.
Despite emerging as the clear winner, Mr Al Sadr faces a rough road ahead to form a functioning government.
The Shiite Co-ordination Framework, made up of Al Fatah, State of Law and other parties renewed their rejection of the results, accusing the IHEC of manipulation, despite the EU and UN saying the poll was well-managed.
“We categorically reject the current election results,” the group said. “It is clear now and without any doubt that the Elections Commission had prepared these results before against the will of the Iraqi people,” it added.
Their demands are now beyond recounting the votes.
“We reiterate our firm stance, which is based on documents and proof that there has been widespread manipulation in the elections results,” it said.
“We are committed to continue our lawsuit, which we have filed at the Federal Court to annul the elections,” the group added.
How will the new Iraqi government be formed?
The results have been sent to the Supreme Federal Court for ratification.
Once they are approved, Iraqi President Barham Salih will call on the new parliament to convene. The largest political bloc will be declared in the first session to have the right to nominate a prime minister and start negotiations to form the government.
It is still unclear whether the Co-ordination Framework, which has more than 50 seats, can form an alliance inside the parliament or ally with other parties given the differences among its leaders.
Since no party won a majority of seats in parliament, negotiations to choose a prime minister and form the new government are expected to take weeks or even months.
The new parliament will have a set of newcomers. More independent candidates have won seats, including the prominent activist party, Imtidad Movement with nine seats.
For Riyadh Ashour, a resident of the southern city of Nasiriyah, the elections have failed to ease the grip of the political parties.
“The same political parties are still controlling the country,” Mr Ashour, 59, told The National. “They play it in a way that allows them to stay in power and maintain full control,” he added.
But the presence of independent candidates brings some hope.
“Although they can’t do anything significant now, their presence is a seed that we will water and support to bring change in the future,” he said.
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
