Influential Iraqi cleric warns of election fraud
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – An influential Shiite cleric has expressed concerns about the possibility of fraud as Iraqi politicians campaign ahead of May 12 parliamentary elections.
Muqtada al-Sadr met with Netherlands Ambassador to Iraq Matthijs Wolters on Wednesday and called for international supervision of the elections.
During their meeting, Sadr “expressed his fear of fraud attempts which may occur and that the election should be integral and transparent again, demanding international, independent supervision,” according to a readout from Sadr’s office.
The populist Sadr is heading the Sa’irun Alliance – a coalition between his Shiite movement and the Iraqi Communist Party.
Sadr has led regular protests in Baghdad for more than two years, demanding government reforms.
In December, he issued a warning that no party should run under the banner of the mainly Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi and urged the militias to hand their weapons over to the state.
In his meeting with the Dutch diplomat in Najaf city, Sadr expressed the desire of the people of Iraq to “get out of their isolation” and open up to other countries, “especially the European ones, in order to develop relations and support the mutual interests between them and Iraq in areas that serve the Iraqi people,” stated his office.
Wolters’ office has not immediately commented on the meeting.
Muqtada al-Sadr met with Netherlands Ambassador to Iraq Matthijs Wolters on Wednesday and called for international supervision of the elections.
During their meeting, Sadr “expressed his fear of fraud attempts which may occur and that the election should be integral and transparent again, demanding international, independent supervision,” according to a readout from Sadr’s office.
The populist Sadr is heading the Sa’irun Alliance – a coalition between his Shiite movement and the Iraqi Communist Party.
Sadr has led regular protests in Baghdad for more than two years, demanding government reforms.
In December, he issued a warning that no party should run under the banner of the mainly Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi and urged the militias to hand their weapons over to the state.
In his meeting with the Dutch diplomat in Najaf city, Sadr expressed the desire of the people of Iraq to “get out of their isolation” and open up to other countries, “especially the European ones, in order to develop relations and support the mutual interests between them and Iraq in areas that serve the Iraqi people,” stated his office.
Wolters’ office has not immediately commented on the meeting.