Hashd commander from Badr Organization to form new alliance for Iraqi election

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Head of the Shiite Badr Organization Hadi Al-Amiri is reportedly engaged with the formation of a new alliance called Mujahidin, a source close to Al-Amiri has said.

 

“The identity of this alliance has not been revealed yet. We are waiting for the Secretary General of Badr Organization Hadi Al-Amiri to declare it himself,” Karim Nuri, a leader from Badr Organization, told Rudaw.

 

Both Amri and Nuri are commanders of the Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary who fought alongside Iraqi security forces against ISIS militants since 2014. 

 

Iraq is set to hold elections on May 12 next year. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has warned against the involvement of the Hashd or other military forces in the election process. 

 

Per the Iraqi laws for members of the armed forces, Hashd members and commanders can run in the Iraqi elections if they first leave their military role, Ahmad al-Asadi, the Hashd spokesperson has said. 

 

With about six months to go, Iraqi parties including the ruling Dawa Party headed by the former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki have not yet revealed what their plans are.

 

PM Haider al-Abadi is also from the Dawa Party. 

 

Iraq’s Vice President Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni leader, has said that PM Abadi should form his own party–leave Maliki’s party–if he wants to have a fair chance to win his second term in office.

 

Nuri, from the Badr Organization that was formed in Iran in 1980s, said that they do not want to form an alliance with Maliki. 

 

“We will in no way ally with the State of Law which is headed by the Iraqi Vice President Nouri al-Maliki. This matter has been settled,” Nuri revealed. “There is no political or moral commitment between us. That is, we might not necessarily form an alliance with them again. This depends on political situations.”

 

The State of Law is a parliamentary alliance that includes a number of Shiite parties such as Dawa.

 

Al-Akhbar Newspaper, perceived to be close to the Lebanese Hezbollah citing sources close to Amri, reported that the Mujahidin list will also include other elements such as Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, both Iranian-backed. 

 

It also reported that some Sunni leaders may also join the alliance.