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Iraq
UNAMI chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (left) met with Qais al-Khazali, secretary-general of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, (right) in Baghdad on November 15, 2021. Photo: handout/Qais al-Khazali's office
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The head of an Iraqi militia backed by Iran met with the chief of the United Nations mission in Iraq (UNAMI) on Monday, more than a month after Iraq’s parliamentary election, the results of which the militia has rejected.
Qais al-Khazali, secretary-general of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the pro-Iran groups affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), met with UNAMI chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert to discuss the election results, according to a statement from Khazali’s office shared on Telegram.
Khazali presented to Hennis-Plasschaert “detailed evidence of fraud and result manipulation in the elections,” according to the statement.
UNAMI has not immediately commented on their meeting.
The Iraqi parliamentary elections were held on October 10. It was widely considered the fairest election Iraq has had since 2003, though it was marred by low turnout.
Pro-Iran parties lost seats in the election and urged their supporters to protest. Earlier this month, more than 100 people were injured and at least one person killed as protesters stormed the fortified Green Zone that houses government offices and clashed with security forces.
Khazali at the time condemned the “security forces’ use of live ammunition against the peaceful protesters,” adding that the perpetrators should be held accountable. He also called on protesters to “show restraint.”
UNAMI called on all sides to exercise maximum restraint, for the right to peaceful protest to be respected, and for the demonstrations to remain peaceful.
In their meeting on Monday, Khazali complained to the UNAMI chief about a statement from the UN Security Council on the elections, issued before the results were finalized. On October 22, the Security Council released a statement commending Iraq’s electoral commission and the Iraqi government for conducting a “technically sound” election.
Iraq’s electoral commission reviewed nearly 1,500 complaints and last week completed a limited manual recount. It found that the recount made no change to the initial results.
Qais al-Khazali, secretary-general of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the pro-Iran groups affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), met with UNAMI chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert to discuss the election results, according to a statement from Khazali’s office shared on Telegram.
Khazali presented to Hennis-Plasschaert “detailed evidence of fraud and result manipulation in the elections,” according to the statement.
UNAMI has not immediately commented on their meeting.
The Iraqi parliamentary elections were held on October 10. It was widely considered the fairest election Iraq has had since 2003, though it was marred by low turnout.
Pro-Iran parties lost seats in the election and urged their supporters to protest. Earlier this month, more than 100 people were injured and at least one person killed as protesters stormed the fortified Green Zone that houses government offices and clashed with security forces.
Khazali at the time condemned the “security forces’ use of live ammunition against the peaceful protesters,” adding that the perpetrators should be held accountable. He also called on protesters to “show restraint.”
UNAMI called on all sides to exercise maximum restraint, for the right to peaceful protest to be respected, and for the demonstrations to remain peaceful.
In their meeting on Monday, Khazali complained to the UNAMI chief about a statement from the UN Security Council on the elections, issued before the results were finalized. On October 22, the Security Council released a statement commending Iraq’s electoral commission and the Iraqi government for conducting a “technically sound” election.
Iraq’s electoral commission reviewed nearly 1,500 complaints and last week completed a limited manual recount. It found that the recount made no change to the initial results.
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