Iraq: the Shiite pro-Iran coalition now has a majority in Parliament

The Iraqi Parliament meets in extraordinary session, January 5, 2020. Iraqi parliament media office / Handout via REUTERS

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The party of leader Moqtada Sadr won the legislative elections last October.

Its deputies resigned two weeks ago.

Today 63 new parliamentarians were sworn in to replace them.

They all belong to the coalition of pro-Iran Shia parties.

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Since the legislative elections of last October the Iraqi Parliament has been trying in vain to form a government.

Until two weeks ago

led the way.

Allied with Sunni and Kurdish parties, he intended to form a government without the pro-Iranian Shiite coalition.

The latter being blocked, Moqtada al-Sadr ended up reversing the situation by announcing the resignation of his deputies on June 12th.

As provided by law, the competitors who came second in the legislative elections inherited these seats.

This is how 63 parliamentarians from parties close to Iran were sworn in today.

The Coordination Framework therefore now has 130 seats out of the 329 and regains the majority in Parliament.

If on paper the coalition of Shiite parties seem to have gained the upper hand, in practice things are much more complex.

After their initial failure in the legislative elections, they lost legitimacy.

Moqtada Sadr withdrew his deputies from Parliament but is far from having retired from political life.

He retains his strength as a popular opposition leader.

Everyone is now waiting to know their long-term strategy.

►Also read: Resignation of elected Sadrists: "Iraq is in an unprecedented situation"

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• Iraq