Source: Reuters
BY Ahmed Aboulenein, Maher Chmaytelli
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Nationalist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, a long-time adversary of the United States, led in Iraq’s parliamentary election with more than half the votes counted on Monday, the electoral commission said, in a surprise turn of fortune for the Shi’ite leader.
Iraqi supporters of Sairun list celebrate with portraits of Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, after results of Iraq’s parliamentary election were announced in Baghdad, Iraq May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani
In the first election since Islamic State was defeated in the country, Shi’ite militia chief Hadi al-Amiri’s bloc, which is backed by Iran, was in second place, while Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, once seen as the front-runner, trailed in third position.
The preliminary results were based on a count of more than 95 percent of the votes cast in 10 of Iraq’s 18 provinces.
Unlike Abadi, a rare ally of both the United States and Iran, Sadr is an opponent of both of the countries which have wielded influence in Iraq since a U.S.-led invasion toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 and ushered the Shi’ite majority to power.
Categories: Iraq, Middle East, Shia, The Muslim Times