The highest constitutional body of Iraq, the Federal Supreme Court, ratified, Monday, December 27, the results of the legislative elections. After the October 10 vote, the Conquest Alliance – a political showcase for the former paramilitaries of Hachd Al-Chaabi – lodged a complaint denouncing a poll marred by fraud. The influential Tehran-backed party won just 17 seats, compared to 48 in the outgoing 329-member parliament.
“The federal court has decided to reject the complaint aimed at not having the final election results ratified and to have the costs borne. [de l’affaire] to the complainant “, explained the judge, Jassem Mohamed Aboud, reading the verdict.
Fingerprints not recognized
The elections were won by Hashd’s big rival, the current Shiite leader Moqtada Al-Sadr, who won 73 seats and thus became the first bloc in parliament, according to official results announced by the electoral commission. Despite its failure, Hachd Al-Chaabi remains a key political actor, with the support of Iran and its 160,000 combatants integrated into the ranks of the regular forces.
Leaders of the Conquest Alliance recently explained at a press conference the reasons for their complaint, detailing hiccups that occurred during the vote. Citing expert reports from a German company commissioned by the electoral commission to assess the conduct of the vote, they recalled that the fingerprints of many voters could not be recognized during electronic voting. They also noted the failures of an electronic device used for the ballot, the C-1000.
