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The coordinating body between the provinces is considering holding elections and confirms: America is a friend and Iran is a neighbor


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Commission: Elections are proceeding smoothly and smoothly and a large influx of voters

Commission: Elections are proceeding smoothly and smoothly and a large influx of voters

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Baghdad

The head of the Electoral Commission, Maen al-Hitawi, said on Saturday that the electoral process is proceeding smoothly and smoothly with a large influx of voters, voicing the concerns of the political blocs of the possibility of a defect in the voting apparatus.

 

"The elections are proceeding smoothly and smoothly, with a large flow and wide participation of voters at an early date," Haetawi said in a press release. "The vote through the special vote formed maintenance rooms to handle all cases that arise."

 

"There are no complaints, and the Commission has a means to guide voters to the polling stations," he said, calling on all the people to "go to ensure their voting is safe according to the time limit."

 

"There are concerns from some blocs, and we understand these concerns, but we assure everyone that the polling stations are solid and there is no defect, as experts and manufacturers are present in the field to control any defect that may occur in the vote," he said.

 

KKK

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I learn more about Iraq and the political process with every article posted here........From what I read, the PM has to come from a Shite faction.......and there are 5 of them....2 with very strong Iranian ties....Malaki and Amiri................It is mandated that 25% of Parliment are women......and with the improved electronic voting results must be complete 48 hours after the polls close........probably why Abadi called for the Sunday Holiday.....

 

Even if it is a CNN link........pretty good info

 

 

 

 
 
 

Iraq elections: Voters head to the polls at critical time

CNN Digital Rebranding 2015  Ben Wedeman  Photo: Jeremy Freeman
Laura Smith Spark-Profile-Image

By Ben Wedeman and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN

 

Updated 0900 GMT (1700 HKT) May 12, 2018

 
 
 
 
Electoral posters are displayed in Najaf on May 7, ahead of Iraq's parliamentary elections.
 
Electoral posters are displayed in Najaf on May 7, ahead of Iraq's parliamentary elections.

(CNN)Iraqis are going to the polls Saturday to vote in their first parliamentary elections since the defeat of ISIS last year, with the economy, jobs, security and corruption high on the list of voters' concerns as the country seeks to rebuild after years of conflict.

Nearly 7,000 candidates are contesting 329 seats in the parliament, of which a quarter must go to women. More than 24 million Iraqis have registered to vote, according to Iraq's electoral commission, with more than 55,000 polling stations open across the country.
Under the power-sharing system brought in after the 2003 US-led invasion, the position of prime minister is reserved for a Shiite.
Incumbent Haider al-Abadi, who's been in power since 2014, is hoping to win back the top job. But the country's Shiite bloc has splintered into five major coalitions, making it hard to predict which will come out on top.
Whoever wins will still need to reach out to other blocs, including Sunni and Kurdish coalitions, to form a governing alliance.
The next prime minister will then face the daunting task of stabilizing a nation scarred by ISIS' rise and still plagued by sectarian division at a critical juncture in its history.
Followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr carry a huge Iraqi flag as they take part in a campaign rally in Baghdad on May 4.
 
Followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr carry a huge Iraqi flag as they take part in a campaign rally in Baghdad on May 4.

Abadi credited with defeating ISIS

Abadi, who heads the Nasr, or Victory, coalition, is widely credited in Iraq with helping to reconstruct the Iraqi Army and defeat ISIS. He will hope to capitalize on that support even as many voters lament a lack of improvement in their daily lives.
Ahead of the election, Abadi sought to broaden his coalition to bring in significant Sunni figures and avoid overt sectarianism -- and his is the only coalition running in all 18 of Iraq's provinces. He cast his vote Saturday in the Baghdad neighborhood where he was born.
During the war against ISIS, Abadi succeeded in balancing the interests of Iraq's powerful neighbor, Iran, and the United States, as well as significantly improving relations with Saudi Arabia and boosting Iraq's diplomatic standing overall.
Baghdad also regained control of disputed oil-rich fields in Kirkuk last year following a contentious Kurdish independence referendum in September. While that has not endeared Abadi to many Kurds, outside the Kurdish region he is credited with taking a strong position and reasserting central government control without major bloodshed.
But many Iraqis are also frustrated by the limited change they've seen in their daily lives.
Among their complaints are a dearth of job opportunities, a struggling economy and crumbling infrastructure, with frequent power cuts. They also lament poor government services and slow reconstruction in areas such as Tikrit, Falluja and Mosul that were devastated in the battle against ISIS.
Corruption is another major issue, blamed by many Iraqis for their country's failure to translate the wealth from its natural resources into a better life for all its citizens.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi talks during a campaign rally in the holy city of Najaf  on May 3.
 
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi talks during a campaign rally in the holy city of Najaf on May 3.

Chief rivals

Abadi's chief rivals include former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who leads the State of Law coalition.
During his two terms in power, from 2006 to 2014, Maliki was widely seen as having alienated a large part of the Sunni population and by doing so having prepared the ground for the rise of ISIS. But he maintains significant support and has close ties to Iran.
Nuri al-Maliki speaks during a tribal gathering on May 13, 2017, in the city of Najaf.
 
Nuri al-Maliki speaks during a tribal gathering on May 13, 2017, in the city of Najaf.
Another significant contender is Hadi al-Amiri, who heads the Fatah (Conquest) coalition and also has strong links with Tehran, having spent much of his youth in exile in Iran and fought on the side of the Iranians in the Iran-Iraq War.
Amiri helped command the Hashd al Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) -- the largely Shiite, pro-Iranian paramilitary force that supported the Iraqi Army in the fight against ISIS.
Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the Fatah Alliance, a coalition of Iranian-supported militia groups, speaks during a campaign rally in Baghdad on May 7.
 
Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the Fatah Alliance, a coalition of Iranian-supported militia groups, speaks during a campaign rally in Baghdad on May 7.
While the PMU played a vital role in defeating ISIS, some groups under its umbrella were accused of committing sectarian abuses against Sunnis and Kurds, an allegation the PMU denied.
Last week, Iraq's highest Shiite religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, urged voters not to reelect "corrupt" lawmakers and warned that "foreign agendas" could undermine the country's ability to carry out a free and fair vote.
In a televised statement delivered by his representative after Friday prayers, al-Sistani urged voters to learn from the past. "Avoid falling into the trap of those who are corrupt and those who have failed, whether they have been tried or not," he said.
It was al-Sistani's call for Iraqis to take up arms against ISIS in 2014 that led to the creation of the Hashd al Shaabi force, which reports directly to the Prime Minister's office.
An Iraqi traffic policeman prepares to vote in Baghdad on May 10. Members of the security forces cast ballots before other voters.
 
An Iraqi traffic policeman prepares to vote in Baghdad on May 10. Members of the security forces cast ballots before other voters.

Security fears

There's little doubt security remains a big issue as Iraq goes to the polls.
A statement released Friday by the Prime Minister's office urged voters to "choose the best for Iraq and for a brighter future" while also seeking to reassure them that they would be safe.
"We have ordered our heroic security forces to protect the electoral process, and to protect the voters and polling stations, and they are capable of protecting you," it said.
One candidate -- a college professor named Farouq Zarzour -- was assassinated this week in a town near Mosul. He was running for parliament as part of the National Coalition led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.
A spokesman for ISIS also urged attacks against polling stations and voters in an audio message released last month.
Abadi may have declared the defeat of ISIS last September but the extremist group remains a threat, with a continued presence in small pockets of the country and sleeper cells elsewhere.

CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq, Hamdi Alkhshali and Kareem Khadder contributed to this report.

 

===========================================================================

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/iraq-votes-elections-isil-defeat-180512052850374.html

Iraq votes in first elections since ISIL defeat

Poll expected to be a referendum on PM Haider al-Abadi's tenure and his pledge to be more inclusive of Sunni minority.

by Arwa Ibrahim
3 hours ago
  •  
  •  
 
A total of 6,990 candidates from 87 parties are competing against one another in Saturday's polls [Gailan Haji/EPA]
A total of 6,990 candidates from 87 parties are competing against one another in Saturday's polls [Gailan Haji/EPA]

Iraqis head to the polls on Saturday in the first parliamentary election since the country declared victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group at the end of 2017.

 

Polls opened at 7am and will close at 6pm (04:00 to 15:00 GMT). While the independent body overseeing the election projected a high turnout among the 24.5 million registered voters, the early hours of Saturday saw few people taking part in the vote.

 

The low turnout was partly blamed on a 24-hour curfew put in place by the government since midnight, which was partially lifted by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi later in the day. 

 

Few foresee a dramatic government shake-up given the country's sectarian divides, but the balloting is expected to be a referendum on al-Abadi's tenure and his pledge to be more inclusive of Iraq's Sunni minority.

Corruption, security, poverty, Iran's influence and the future of US forces currently in Iraq are other issues that have dominated the run-up to the election.

 

A total of 6,990 candidates from 87 parties are competing against one another, with nearly 2,011 female candidates who are guaranteed 25 percent, or 83, of the seats. Nine seats will be allocated to minorities. 

5373fd6416604452b57c0038c6edc105_6.jpg
 

The main lists can be divided into Shia, Sunni and Kurdish coalitions, with Shia parties being the most prominent due to their greater influence over Iraqi politics since 2005.

 

Candidates elected based on their position in the party will be elected to four-year terms in parliament.

An electronic voting system is being used for the first time this year to try to reduce fraud and speed up the counting process.

 

Results will be released within 48 hours of Saturday's poll close, according to the independent body overseeing the elections.

 

Security has been tightened across Iraq in the days before the election after ISIL threatened to target polling stations.

 

Baghdad, Mosul and other major cities are imposing curfews on election day, and travel between provinces has already been restricted. As of Friday, airports and border crossings will be closed.

Main contenders  

The 2018 vote will see competition between two main Sunni coalitions, four Kurdish lists and five main Shia coalitions, from which the next prime minister of Iraq will be chosen. That candidate will, in turn, determine the fate of Iraq's national unity.

 

Al-Abadi, heading the Nasr (Victory) Coalition, is seeking to retain his post but faces stiff competition from his predecessor, Nouri al-Maliki, heading the Dawlat al-Qanun (State of Law) Coalition, and the Fatah alliance of candidates, who have close ties to the powerful, mostly Shia, paramilitary forces.

 

Fatah is headed by Hadi al-Amiri, a former minister of transport who became a senior commander of paramilitary fighters in the fight against the ISIL. Many of the candidates on his list were also paramilitary commanders before they cut their official ties with paramilitary forces to seek office.

5134057b964a411294fb180bd54cc95c_6.jpg
 

Influential Shia scholar Muqtada al-Sadr leads the Sairoon Coalition, an alliance of the Sadrist Movement and the Iraqi Communist Party. His campaign has focused on fighting corruption and social issues.

 

Finally, the Hikma Coalition (Wisdom), created by Amar al-Hakim in July 2017, is running on a platform to attract a younger electorate from traditional Shia parties. 

 

Sunni leaders have coalesced around two primary lists, one of which is al-Qarar al-Iraqi, led by Osama al-Nujaifi, one of Iraq's three vice presidents, and his brother, and the other is the Wataniya Alliance represented by Salim al-Jabouri, the current speaker of parliament, and Saleh al-Mutlaq, former deputy prime minister, and former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's secular coalition.

 

According to Ibrahim Marashi, associate professor at the Department of History, California State University, San Marcos, "Arab Sunni parties have failed to agree to run under a single list for 2018... [which is] indicative of the failure of one party that will represent their aspirations."

Next government

No one group is expected to able to win the 165 seats required for an outright majority. Instead, the bloc that wins the most seats will have to bring together a majority by getting the support of smaller alliances.

 

The process of choosing the next prime minister is expected to take months and will likely result in power being dispersed across different political parties with clashing interests. 

 

Until a new prime minister is chosen, al-Abadi will remain in office, retaining all his powers.

 

Political power in Iraq is traditionally divided along sectarian lines among the offices of prime minister, president and speaker of parliament.

 

Since the first elections following the 2003 US-led toppling of Saddam Hussein, the Shia majority has held the position of prime minister, while the Kurds have held the presidency and the Sunnis have held the post of speaker of parliament.

 

But with instability in the Kurdish region of Iraq since the 2017 independence referendum, the Kurds have become divided and are unlikely to have a substantial impact on the formation of the new government.

 

"As a result of the referendum and fiasco that ensued, the Kurdish vote is more fragmented today than at any point since 2003," said Fanar al-Hadad, a research fellow at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.

3e2df008f7324966b257029aaf578ff2_6.jpg
 

The constitution sets a quota for female representation, stating that no less than one-fourth of parliament members must be women.

 

Once results of the election are ratified by Iraq's Supreme Court, parliament is required to meet within 15 days.

 

Its eldest member will chair the first session, during which a speaker will be elected. Parliament must then elect a president by a two-thirds majority vote within 30 days of its first meeting.

 

The president is charged with naming a member of the largest bloc in parliament - the prime minister-designate - to form a cabinet within 30 days. If that individual fails, the president must nominate a new person for the post of prime minister.

 

In the past, forming a government has taken up to eight months. In 2005, allegations of vote-rigging delayed the ratification of election results for weeks.

 

Experts envision that al-Abadi may win a second term, but also see most of the main Shia coalitions being represented in government.

 

This is especially true for al-Amiri's Fatah Coalition which has closer ties than the Nasr Coalition does with Iran, a country that plays a large role in Shia politics in Iraq.

 

"The Fatah Coalition [represented by al-Amiri] will inevitably be a part of the coming government. It's a question of how big a chunk of the political pie they will have," said al-Hadad.

Edited by coorslite21
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..."The process of choosing the next prime minister is expected to take months and will likely result in power being dispersed across different political parties with clashing interests. 

 

Until a new prime minister is chosen, al-Abadi will remain in office, retaining all his powers."...

 

I didn't know that little tid bit!

 

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48 minutes ago, hawk-eye-view said:

..."The process of choosing the next prime minister is expected to take months and will likely result in power being dispersed across different political parties with clashing interests. 

 

Until a new prime minister is chosen, al-Abadi will remain in office, retaining all his powers."...

 

I didn't know that little tid bit!

 

no . in my country just one day . 

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3 hours ago, hawk-eye-view said:

..."The process of choosing the next prime minister is expected to take months and will likely result in power being dispersed across different political parties with clashing interests. 

 

Until a new prime minister is chosen, al-Abadi will remain in office, retaining all his powers."...

 

I didn't know that little tid bit!

 

 

What a ridiculous system!  They vote and then it takes months?  Sigh.  

Where's that face-palm symbol?

Edited by Floridian
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3 hours ago, hawk-eye-view said:

..."The process of choosing the next prime minister is expected to take months and will likely result in power being dispersed across different political parties with clashing interests. 

 

Until a new prime minister is chosen, al-Abadi will remain in office, retaining all his powers."...

 

I didn't know that little tid bit!

 

 

It shouldn't take months in choosing the next Prime, however, this being Iraq, NOTHING ever gets accomplished quickly ( or could there be an ulterior motive behind that process ?). It could afford the time needed to complete " unfinished business " ?

 

As for retaining ALL his powers until the NEXT Prime is chosen; Okay then, lets get after the reforms/RV without waisting another damn minute. After all, he did say " after the Elections " they would kick this into high gear. Just get it done, already.

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Legal expert: Delay announcement of results for two days is questionable

16:45 - 12/05/2018
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Information / Special ...

The legal expert Ali al-Tamimi, on Saturday, delayed the announcement of results for 48 hours after the closing of the ballot boxes, pointing out that the same devices are used in several countries and announce the results after only a few hours.

"The counting and sorting devices used by the Commission are the same, which are used in a number of countries in the region and in Europe, and the results are announced within a few hours," al-Tamimi told Al-Maaloumah.

He added that "the determination of the Commission 48 hours to announce the election results is questionable, especially since the organs are counting the votes electronically and calculated by the same minute cast by the voter's vote."

The Electoral Commission had previously indicated that the announcement of the final results of the electoral process would take place 48 hours after the end of the vote and the closing of the ballot boxes to voters. Finished 25 and

 

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.almaalomah.com%2F2018%2F05%2F12%2F308837%2F

 

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12 hours ago, 10 YEARS LATER said:

Any Libs out there, go ahead and Neg away - I give a damn. Y'all just a mob a Brain Washed Marching Zombies, parroting a Communist agenda. . . Just a bunch of Clueless Wind Up Meat Puppets. Hows the USA & the World look to you now after 8 years of "Progressivism?"

 

I Agree AND Well Stated, 10 Years Later, and a highly relevant question I might add!!! :salute:

 

12 hours ago, 10 YEARS LATER said:

Yep, the USA according to the previous first "Lady " of the Interloper in Chief said " We're a Downright Mean Country. " Do folks ever stop and think what this World would be like if there was no United States of America ?   We're not perfect and we do make mistakes - Pretty fashionable these days to put the HATE on to the USA. Wonder what the outcome of both World Wars would have been, had not the USA existed ? 

 

We find yet again, the USA & World is in a World of Shiite thanks to the Back to Back agendas of the Obama Wrecking Crew. Now it's up to US to fix the Global Shiite Sandwich that we find ourselves in . . . again.  

 

Our troops ARE NOT fodder for the Clueless Wind Up Meat Puppets!!! :angry:

 

The RI/RV would have been long out of view in our rear view mirrors if it HAD NOT been for the Interloper in Chief and "Lady"!!! :facepalm:

 

I sure look forward to meeting post event!!! :twothumbs:

 

In The Mean Time...............................

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

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Agreed 10 Years.  I never thought I would be looking for a Exit Poll in Iraq, but I've been searching for one this morning.  Dare I say it, sure, why not.  This is the most important election in the History of Iraq!!!  How many times have we heard that the last few election cycles in the US.  I even heard one talking head say the US mid terms are the most important election in our lifetimes.  REALLY??!!!!   

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5 hours ago, coorslite21 said:

The process of choosing the next prime minister is expected to take months and will likely result in power being dispersed across different political parties with clashing interests

 

Until a new prime minister is chosen, al-Abadi will remain in office, retaining all his powers.

 

Political power in Iraq is traditionally divided along sectarian lines among the offices of prime minister, president and speaker of parliament.

 

I think this is EXTREMELY Good News for all of us!!! :twothumbs:

 

So Haider al-Abadi has the remainder of his term to serve until the end of June 30 of this year as the elected Prime Minister in this current term. If reconstruction, economic development, and foreign investment are started after the elections, the constituents of the different political parties are going to benefit with the trek upwards of their standard of living. I suspect this will put pressure on their party leaders to promote the vote for Haider al-Abadi as the next Prime Minister. The other leading candidates have either proven themselves to be corrupt (Nouri al-Maliki) or having strong ties to Iran (Nouri al-Maliki and Hadi al-Amiri). I suppose the other two leading candidates have some down side as well compared to Haider al-Abadi whereas Haider al-Abadi appears to have Iraqi interests above all other National (foreign) influences for all of Iraq. I would not imagine Iraqis as wanting to be influenced by proxy leaders in their own government especially if they are getting the Opiate Of Prosperity uninterrupted by the leadership of Haider al-Abadi. So, the longer it takes (expected to take months???!!!), the better things will get for Haider al-Abadi with ever improving Safety, Security, and Prosperity in Iraq. Also, corruption removal could be supercharged after the elections with Parliament stripping immunity of the office holders and rounding up the newly elected officials who are corrupt who currently do not have immunity. Once the corruption is effectively dealt with, one or more international credit agencies could give Iraq an investment worthy credit rating to further rocket reconstruction, economic development, and foreign investment. For the positions held by removed currently elected and newly elected officials, there could be a much smaller followup election in the not to distant future to fill those positions with relatively non corrupt officials.

 

So, the longer it takes to elect the next Prime Minister, the better it likely is Haider al-Abadi will be elected as the next Prime Minister with the past record he has as well as potential events to occur that benefit all Iraqis and put pressure on  the other political party leaders to elect Haider al-Abadi as the next Prime Minister especially if the corruption is effectively dealt with in the next few weeks to couple of months.

 

Haider al-Abadi has shown himself to have accomplish more positive long term benefit for Iraq in his past four years as Prime Minister compared to all the previous Prime Ministers from 2003 until mid 2014 (11 years) to include the 8 years of Nouri al-Maliki.

 

Who would You want voted as the next Prime Minister in Iraq if You were an Iraqi? I think the Iraqis would vote the same.

 

Just my thoughts, opinion, and :twocents:

 

In The Mean Time....................................................

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

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so just to recap this criminal ran for office and promised he would keep the terrorist acts that he controls to a minimum on election day ... wow what a thoughtful caring and misunderstood man he is ................................ NOT

 

 

 

9:42 a.m.

 

Maliki promises 'no terrorist acts' on election day

 

Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki led Iraq as ISIS formed and threatened to overrun the entire country.

“The Americans were just being too cautious otherwise ISIS or terrorists do not possess such powers. They heard threats from Baathists and terrorists who said they’d strike the polling stations, but they’re too weak to do such a thing,” Maliki said on election day.

The head of the Dawa Party promised Iraqis safety on voting day.

“We once held elections and Baghdad wasn’t even under our control and the situation now is different. The threats were meant to have a negative effect, but I reassure all peoples that there’ll be no terrorist acts,” said Maliki.

 

maliki.jpg

 

Maliki, who heads the powerful State of Law Coalition and is currently one of Iraq’s three vice presidents, sees the constitution as the guide for resolving outstanding issues between the federal and regional governments.


“Relations between Baghdad and Erbil are heading towards solving the disputes and for the first time in the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad there’s talk of solving the outstanding issues through the constitution and because we’ve agreed to return and rely on the constitution then there hopefully will remain no disputes,” said Maliki.

 
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Here is the first part of the posted article. There are older updates if one scrolls down on the link CoorsLite21 posted above. Sorry, I couldn't unbold the bold here for some reason.

Iraq

LIVE: Polls close in Iraq's 2018 parliamentary election, results as we get them

By Rudaw 32 minutes ago
-
-

7.32 p.m.

 

PUK 'reclaims' Sulaimani, Gorran demands manual recount 

 

According to Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) media, the party has won in 40 polling stations in Sulaimani city, its traditional stronghold. The Change (Gorran) Movement claims the electronic voting system has been hacked, and has demanded a manual recount. 

 

---

 

7.28 p.m. 

 

Erbil results as we get them

 

Three polling stations in Erbil have so far announced results. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is showing an early lead in its traditional stronghold.

 

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP): 1,442 

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK): 469

New Generation: 408

Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ): 313

Change (Gorran) Movement: 266

Komal: 182

Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU): 174

 

---

 

6.00 p.m.

 

Polls have officially closed in Iraq's parliamentary election. Counting has begun. 

 

loading.jpg

 

---

 

5.09 p.m. 

 

Voter turnout in Kurdistan Region as of 4pm

Erbil 48%
Sulaimani 40%
Duhok 55%

Amedi 69%

Mergasor 70%

Simel 79 %

Ruwanduz 68%

Raniya 55 %

Shaqlawa 52 %

Darbandikhan 72 %

Taqtaq 61 %

Khalifan 63 %

Koya 40 %

Halabja 46 %

Soran 63 %

Choman 72 %

Penjwen 51 %

 

Rudaw reporter in Kirkuk said the voter turnout out exceeded 35 percent

 

Go Moola Nova!

:pirateship:

Edited by Synopsis
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8 minutes ago, Synopsis said:

 

I think this is EXTREMELY Good News for all of us!!! :twothumbs:

 

So Haider al-Abadi has the remainder of his term to serve until the end of June 30 of this year as the elected Prime Minister in this current term. If reconstruction, economic development, and foreign investment are started after the elections, the constituents of the different political parties are going to benefit with the trek upwards of their standard of living. I suspect this will put pressure on their party leaders to promote the vote for Haider al-Abadi as the next Prime Minister. The other leading candidates have either proven themselves to be corrupt (Nouri al-Maliki) or having strong ties to Iran (Nouri al-Maliki and Hadi al-Amiri). I suppose the other two leading candidates have some down side as well compared to Haider al-Abadi whereas Haider al-Abadi appears to have Iraqi interests above all other National (foreign) influences for all of Iraq. I would not imagine Iraqis as wanting to be influenced by proxy leaders in their own government especially if they are getting the Opiate Of Prosperity uninterrupted by the leadership of Haider al-Abadi. So, the longer it takes (expected to take months???!!!), the better things will get for Haider al-Abadi with ever improving Safety, Security, and Prosperity in Iraq. Also, corruption removal could be supercharged after the elections with Parliament stripping immunity of the office holders and rounding up the newly elected officials who are corrupt who currently do not have immunity. Once the corruption is effectively dealt with, one or more international credit agencies could give Iraq an investment worthy credit rating to further rocket reconstruction, economic development, and foreign investment. For the positions held by removed currently elected and newly elected officials, there could be a much smaller followup election in the not to distant future to fill those positions with relatively non corrupt officials.

 

So, the longer it takes to elect the next Prime Minister, the better it likely is Haider al-Abadi will be elected as the next Prime Minister with the past record he has as well as potential events to occur that benefit all Iraqis and put pressure on  the other political party leaders to elect Haider al-Abadi as the next Prime Minister especially if the corruption is effectively dealt with in the next few weeks to couple of months.

 

Haider al-Abadi has shown himself to have accomplish more positive long term benefit for Iraq in his past four years as Prime Minister compared to all the previous Prime Ministers from 2003 until mid 2014 (11 years) to include the 8 years of Nouri al-Maliki.

 

Who would You want voted as the next Prime Minister in Iraq if You were an Iraqi? I think the Iraqis would vote the same.

 

Just my thoughts, opinion, and :twocents:

 

In The Mean Time....................................................

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

 

No!  Sorry, Synopsis.

I gotta know right now, who won the election.

I ain't waitin' fer months.  😂

 

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1 hour ago, Synopsis said:

 

I Agree AND Well Stated, 10 Years Later, and a highly relevant question I might add!!! :salute:

 

 

Our troops ARE NOT fodder for the Clueless Wind Up Meat Puppets!!! :angry:

 

The RI/RV would have been long out of view in our rear view mirrors if it HAD NOT been for the Interloper in Chief and "Lady"!!! :facepalm:

 

I sure look forward to meeting post event!!! :twothumbs:

 

In The Mean Time...............................

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

Damn straight!!!👍

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at 266 votes   they might get  too  ----  300  if they are lucky  ...    Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP): 1,442 

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK): 469 <------  these are  big in difference ,  hope they stay  this way , and in big gap ,   will let the region know  ( p u k  )  is not every ones   voice  in the  Kurdistan region  ...    a few reports on the radio , seems a lot of  push and pull  against the   political force that wants more  iran  ties  (  marlarkey  boys in the  closet )   and  a large group had fears of this move  to keep Iraq under  stress  now trump is giving iran heck with the withdrawal  from the nuke deal ! 

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hahahhaa  I promise  you   " no terror acts  "    now they have had no acts of terror  , they now know   who had the power to keep the violence at bay , but choose  to let the terror reign freely in all parts of Iraq -----------  next step    kick him to iran  ....   they can have him  

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Just now, Floridian said:

 

No!  Sorry, Synopsis.

I gotta know right now, who won the election.

I ain't waitin' fer months.  😂

 

 

The Best Of Your Weekend to You, Floridian!!! :tiphat:

 

The take away for me for the quoted statement in my post is Haider al-Abadi is still in office for this term while the immediacy of the results of the next Prime Minister is not as critical as the benefits of the reconstruction, economic development, and foreign investment to get going in Iraq as well as the completion of the necessary corruption removal process. I suspect immunity of key currently installed corrupt officials has been an issue but can be effectively dealt with once the election results are certified that should nominally be before Ramadan begins on nominally Tuesday, May 15. The prospects should get better over time to reelect Haider al-Abadi as the next Prime Minister even if Haider al-Abadi is not elected as Prime Minister before July 1 and no other Prime Minister has been elected. All this to say as well is if reconstruction, economic development, and foreign investment gets started with the process of removing the key corruption is accomplished, then the better it is for Haider al-Abadi to be elected as Prime Minister even if it takes months since Haider al-Abadi will serve as Prime Minister until the next Prime Minister gains a majority of Parliamentary seats - which, in my opinion, is highly likely to be Haider al-Abadi.

 

For the reconstruction, economic development, and foreign investment to begin, I strongly suspect Iraq will have to go to an "open economy" to effectively address the real time international transactions in an internationally traded IQD and away from the "closed economy" with the once a day during the work week corruption tainted CBI currency auctions. For an internationally traded IQD, I strongly suspect the IQD will have to have the real IQD value. I could be wrong here but this is my gut feel assessment where longer term currency imbalances would occur if the IQD entered internationally at the current program rate and then increased in value over time since the cheap IQD would be traded in significant volumes at the beginning and then have an enormous value later.

 

To favor Haider al-Abadi as well to be reelected as Prime Minister is the previous news articles stating the completion of the currency reform to be completed after the elections for the right environment. This apparently is the implementation of the removal of the three zeros. What this really means, what it will be, and when it will be remains to be seen so I am watching for news articles, like notification of the upcoming lower denomination Iraqi Dinar notes, to be released in the Iraqi news media. We may also be seeing heightened Iranian Republican Guard (IRGC) removal from Iraq as well as the capture or neutralization of Qasem Soleimaniya (leader of the IRGC in Iraq) by the Israeli Mossad since they were cleared (given the "green light") to do so. This should assist in removing the possibility of stirred up Sectarian Strife that may lead to Civil War as Nouri al-Maliki was signaling recently regarding contested election results. The United States Of America supported the May 12 elections so this tells me the election results are well within the plan to deal with any post election Sectarian Strife and Civil War inclinations. The decertification of the JCPOA regarding the Iranians coinciding with just prior to the election today tells me Iran could likely get pounded on heavily very soon so their influences in Iraq to include other countries is effectively neutralized. Israel, Saudi Arabia, and a few other regional countries as well as international countries likely see Iran as being crushed completely in the region to allow for unimpeded ascension of Iraq as a prosperous international trade partner.

 

Just my thoughts, opinion, and :twocents:

 

In The Mean Time.........................................

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

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  • yota691 changed the title to The coordinating body between the provinces is considering holding elections and confirms: America is a friend and Iran is a neighbor
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