Iraqi legislative election, December 2005
Encyclopedia
Following the ratification
of the Constitution of Iraq
on 15 October 2005, a general election was held on 15 December to elect a permanent 275-member Iraqi Council of Representatives.
The elections took place under a list system, whereby voters chose from a list of parties and coalitions. 230 seats were apportioned among Iraq's 18 governorates
based on the number of registered voters in each as of the January 2005 elections
, including 59 seats for Baghdad Governorate. The seats within each governorate were allocated to lists through a system of Proportional Representation
. An additional 45 "compensatory" seats were allocated to those parties whose percentage of the national vote total (including out of country votes) exceeds the percentage of the 275 total seats that they have been allocated. Women were required to occupy 25% of the 275 seats. The change in the voting system will give more weight to Arab Sunni
voters, who make up most of the voters in several provinces. It was expected that these provinces would thus return mostly Sunni Arab representatives, after most Sunnis boycotted the last election.
Turnout was high (79.6%). The White House
was encouraged by the relatively low levels of violence during polling, with one insurgent group making good on a promised election day moratorium on attacks, even going so far as to guard the voters from attack. President Bush frequently pointed to the election as a sign of progress in rebuilding Iraq. However, post-election violence threatened to plunge the nation into civil war, before the situation began to calm in 2007. The election results themselves produced a shaky coalition government headed by Nouri al-Maliki
.
See also : Members of the 1st Iraqi Council of Representatives
, Iraqi Accord Front
, Kurdistani Alliance and Iraqi National List
, under the leadership of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
.
The election is expected to have a significant impact on the politics of Iraq. Most significant developments are expected to be:
carried out for the British Ministry of Defence
in August 2005 by Iraqi university researchers and leaked to the British press, 82 per cent of Iraqis are strongly opposed to the presence of US and other coalition troops and less than one per cent believe that the coalition troops are responsible for any improvement in security.
- who did not participate significantly in the prior legislative elections. The domestic component of the insurgency has been linked to both groups.
versus a more localised power structure, in particular including policies surrounding oil and other natural resources, security and civil services.
, Iyad Allawi
, and the United Iraqi Alliance
which was backed by the religious authorities. This time the religious authorities have refused to back the Alliance and this may be influential in persuading some Shi'a to consider supporting Allawi. However, religious voters may prefer to vote for Sadr rather than casting their vote for Allawi, who is considered pro-American.
The deadline for registering parties and coalitions closed on 28 October. The Electoral Commission announced that 228 lists had been registered, including 21 coalitions.
The emerging Iraqi political scene has been marked by groups of established parties running on joint lists, often grouped on sectarian or ethnic grounds. These lists are not necessarily stable, as the parties sharing a list may be past or present rivals; the situation will be even more complicated for the December 2005 election because parties can form different alliances in different governorates. The landscape is currently fluid; what follows is a list of some of the more important parties and coalitions, with a focus on alliances that have shifted since the January 2005 election.
Ali al-Sistani
, the most senior Shi'ite cleric based in Iraq. It won the most votes in that election and became the senior partner in the coalition government that ran Iraq for most of 2005. The UIA's main components were:
In advance of the December 2005 elections, Moqtada al-Sadr's party chose to join the Alliance. However, the Iraqi National Congress
and Iraqi Hezbollah left the Alliance to form their own lists.
In a blow to the Alliance, Ayatollah
Ali al-Sistani announced that he would not back any particular party for the election; he merely encouraged people to vote "according to their beliefs." He is said to have been disappointed with the performance of the transitional government.
It was initially reported before the election that the UIA seats would be split between the parties as follows:
Analysis of the seat allocation after the elections showed that the 109 district seats and 19 compensatory seats won by the UIA were split as follows:
http://historiae.org/UIA.asp
of the transitional Iraqi President
Jalal Talabani
-- plus some other smaller parties. The DPAK formed a coalition government with the UIA in the wake of the January 2005 elections.
This coalition will also contest the December elections, but the smaller Kurdistan Islamic Union
, who won 10 percent of the seats in the Dahuk and Sulaymaniyah governorate elections in January, has announced that it will form its own governmental lists.
was established by Iyad Allawi
, who served as interim Prime Minister before the January 2005 election. It is dominated by his Iraqi National Accord
party.
For the December 2005 election, it has joined forces with former interim President
Ghazi al-Yawar's The Iraqis
list, the People's Union
list (which is dominated by the Iraqi Communist Party
), and the Sunni Arab politician Adnan Pachachi
and his Assembly of Independent Democrats
to form a single list called the Iraqi National List. This list will attempt to present a secular and trans-community alternative to the other major lists, which are more based on the support of a single ethnic or religious groups.
party originally registered for the January elections but then decided to boycott the polls, which meant that it did not gain any seats. It has decided to participate in the December elections, forming a list called the Iraqi Accord Front
with two other smaller parties, the Iraqi Peoples' Gathering and the Iraqi National Dialogue. These parties aim to tap the Sunni Arab vote; Sunni Arabs overwhelmingly boycotted the January election, but increased Sunni participation in the constitutional referendum
may indicate an increased Sunni turnout for the December elections, especially because more than 1,000 Sunni clerics called on their followers to vote, according to the New York Times. However, the Association of Muslim Scholars
, which is influential in the Sunni community, has called for a boycott of the December elections, which could have an adverse impact on the Iraqi Accord Front's success.
rejected the idea.
Large demonstrations broke out across Iraq on December 23, 2005 to denounce the parliamentary elections. Protesters said that the elections were rigged in favor of the main religious Shiite coalition. Many Iraqis outside the religious Shiite coalition allege that the elections were unfair to smaller Sunni Arab and secular Shiite groups. As many as 20,000 people demonstrated after noon prayers in southern Baghdad
. Over 2,000 people demonstrated in Mosul
, accusing Iran
of involvement in the election.
Sheik Mahmoud al-Sumaidaei of the Association of Muslim Scholars
, a major Sunni clerical group, told followers during prayers at Baghdad's Umm al-Qura
mosque
that they were "living a conspiracy built on lies and forgery."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051223/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_051223155816
Violence grew over the controversial election results. Car bombings and attacks on US and Iraqi officials continued after the elections. In Mosul Qusay Salahaddin
, a Sunni Arab student leader was abducted and killed after leading a demonstration against the election results. Some 2,000 fellow students gathered at the mosque where Salahaddin's body was taken. Sunni's quickly accused militia forces loyal to one of the main parties in the Shiite Alliance bloc for Salahaddin's death. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the murder.
Iraqi constitution ratification vote, 2005
The electorate of Iraq went to the polls on 15 October 2005 to vote in a referendum on whether or not to ratify the proposed constitution of Iraq. After 10 days of counting votes, the country's electoral commission announced that the constitution had been approved by a wide margin nationwide...
of the Constitution of Iraq
Constitution of Iraq
The Constitution of Iraq is Iraq's fundamental law.-History:Iraq's first constitution, which established a constitutional monarchy, entered into force under the auspices of a British military occupation in 1925 and remained in effect until the 1958 revolution established a republic...
on 15 October 2005, a general election was held on 15 December to elect a permanent 275-member Iraqi Council of Representatives.
The elections took place under a list system, whereby voters chose from a list of parties and coalitions. 230 seats were apportioned among Iraq's 18 governorates
Governorates of Iraq
||Iraq is composed of 18 provinces :#Baghdād #Salāh ad-Dīn #Diyālā #Wāsit #Maysān #Al-Basrah #Dhī Qār #Al-Muthannā #Al-Qādisiyyah...
based on the number of registered voters in each as of the January 2005 elections
Iraqi legislative election, January 2005
Elections for the National Assembly of Iraq were held on January 30, 2005 in Iraq. The 275-member National Assembly was a parliament created under the Transitional Law during the Occupation of Iraq...
, including 59 seats for Baghdad Governorate. The seats within each governorate were allocated to lists through a system of Proportional Representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
. An additional 45 "compensatory" seats were allocated to those parties whose percentage of the national vote total (including out of country votes) exceeds the percentage of the 275 total seats that they have been allocated. Women were required to occupy 25% of the 275 seats. The change in the voting system will give more weight to Arab Sunni
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
voters, who make up most of the voters in several provinces. It was expected that these provinces would thus return mostly Sunni Arab representatives, after most Sunnis boycotted the last election.
Turnout was high (79.6%). The White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
was encouraged by the relatively low levels of violence during polling, with one insurgent group making good on a promised election day moratorium on attacks, even going so far as to guard the voters from attack. President Bush frequently pointed to the election as a sign of progress in rebuilding Iraq. However, post-election violence threatened to plunge the nation into civil war, before the situation began to calm in 2007. The election results themselves produced a shaky coalition government headed by Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki , also known as Jawad al-Maliki or Abu Esraa, is the Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party. Al-Maliki and his government succeeded the Iraqi Transitional Government. He is currently in his second term as Prime Minister...
.
Full results
Final uncertified results were released by the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq on Friday 20 January 2006. Certified results are expected to be released within two weeks, after the adjudication of any appeals and after lists have submitted the names of people who will take the seats.Members of the 1st Iraqi Council of Representatives
The members of the first Iraqi Council of Representatives were elected in December 2005 under the newly-adopted constitution.The main functions of the Council were to:...
New government
After six months of negotiations a "government of national unity" was agreed between the United Iraqi AllianceUnited Iraqi Alliance
The National Iraqi Alliance , also known as the Watani List, is an Iraqi electoral coalition that contested the Iraqi legislative election, 2010. The Alliance is mainly composed of Shi'a Islamist parties...
, Iraqi Accord Front
Iraqi Accord Front
The Iraqi Accord Front or Iraqi Accordance Front also known as Tawafuq is an Iraqi Sunni-Islamist political coalition created on October 26, 2005 by the Iraqi Islamic Party to contest the December 2005 general election...
, Kurdistani Alliance and Iraqi National List
Iraqi National List
The Iraqi National List is a coalition of Iraqi political parties who ran in the December 2005 Iraqi elections and got 8.0% of the vote and 25 out of 275 seats...
, under the leadership of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki , also known as Jawad al-Maliki or Abu Esraa, is the Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party. Al-Maliki and his government succeeded the Iraqi Transitional Government. He is currently in his second term as Prime Minister...
.
Impact of election
Removal of coalition soldiers from Iraq
According to an opinion pollOpinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
carried out for the British Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in August 2005 by Iraqi university researchers and leaked to the British press, 82 per cent of Iraqis are strongly opposed to the presence of US and other coalition troops and less than one per cent believe that the coalition troops are responsible for any improvement in security.
Broadening of political space
This election will see the participation of two important groups - the Sunnis and the SadristsMuqtada al-Sadr
Sayyid Muqtadā al-Ṣadr is an Iraqi Islamic political leader.Along with Ali al-Sistani and Ammar al-Hakim of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Sadr is one of the most influential religious and political figures in the country not holding any official title in the Iraqi government.-Titles:He is...
- who did not participate significantly in the prior legislative elections. The domestic component of the insurgency has been linked to both groups.
Debate over Federalism and Secession
The elected Council of Representatives will have the difficult task of ratifying a constitution. The initial debate is likely to focus on the power of a centralized governmentCentralized government
A centralized or centralised government is one in which power or legal authority is exerted or coordinated by a de facto political executive to which federal states, local authorities, and smaller units are considered subject...
versus a more localised power structure, in particular including policies surrounding oil and other natural resources, security and civil services.
Increased choice within communities
All three main communities will go into these elections with at least two significant coalitions to choose from. Parties have split from both the main Shi'a and Kurdish coalitions and two lists from the Sunni community are tipped to win significant support in that community.Anti-incumbency vote
The main competition in the last election within the majority Shi'a community was between the secular outgoing Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Iraq
The Prime Minister of Iraq is Iraq's head of government. Prime Minister was originally an appointed office, subsidiary to the head of state, and the nominal leader of the Iraqi parliament. Under the newly adopted constitution the Prime Minister is to be the country's active executive authority...
, Iyad Allawi
Iyad Allawi
Ayad Allawi is an Iraqi politician, and was the interim Prime Minister of Iraq prior to Iraq's 2005 legislative elections. A prominent Iraqi political activist who lived in exile for almost 30 years, the politically secular Shia Muslim became a member of the Iraq Interim Governing Council, which...
, and the United Iraqi Alliance
United Iraqi Alliance
The National Iraqi Alliance , also known as the Watani List, is an Iraqi electoral coalition that contested the Iraqi legislative election, 2010. The Alliance is mainly composed of Shi'a Islamist parties...
which was backed by the religious authorities. This time the religious authorities have refused to back the Alliance and this may be influential in persuading some Shi'a to consider supporting Allawi. However, religious voters may prefer to vote for Sadr rather than casting their vote for Allawi, who is considered pro-American.
Averting a Civil War
Some predicted that if there wasn't a balance of representation between Sunnis and Shias, that the country was at risk of increased insurgency and perhaps civil war. The current insurgency, lacking the command and control infrastructure needed for large scale military operations, is not equipped to stage more than a haphazard guerrilla campaign. The withdrawal of 150,000 U.S. and British troops on the ground in Iraq, as desired by about 82 percent of Iraqis, is likely to remove motivation for internal Iraqi conflict, since only about one percent of Iraqis believe that the coalition troops are responsible for any improvements in security in Iraq. According to an interview with Rajaa al-Bhayesh, a political scientist at Baghdad's Mustansiriya University, fear of wider civil conflict -- beyond the likely continuation of violence by fringe groups like al Qaeda -- is likely to promote the spirit of compromise.Parties and coalitions
The emerging Iraqi political scene has been marked by groups of established parties running on joint lists, often grouped on sectarian or ethnic grounds. These lists are not necessarily stable, as the parties sharing a list may be past or present rivals; the situation will be even more complicated for the December 2005 election because parties can form different alliances in different governorates. The landscape is currently fluid; what follows is a list of some of the more important parties and coalitions, with a focus on alliances that have shifted since the January 2005 election.
United Iraqi Alliance (#555)
This coalition, dominated by Shi'ite parties, was formed to contest the January 2005 election with the blessing of AyatollahAyatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Ali al-Sistani
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani is the highest-ranking Twelver Shia marja in Iraq and the leader of the Hawza of Najaf.-Early life:Sistani was born in Mashhad, Iran, to a family of religious scholars who traced their roots to Isfahan...
, the most senior Shi'ite cleric based in Iraq. It won the most votes in that election and became the senior partner in the coalition government that ran Iraq for most of 2005. The UIA's main components were:
- The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in IraqSupreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in IraqThe Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq is an Iraqi political party. Its political support comes from the country's Shi'a Muslim community. Prior to his assassination in August 2003, SCIRI was led by Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim; afterwards it was led by the ayatollah's brother, Abdul Aziz...
(SCIRI) led by Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and the transitional Deputy PresidentPresidency Council of IraqThe Presidency Council of Iraq is an entity currently operating under the auspices of the "transitional provisions" of the Constitution of Iraq and previously under the Transitional Administrative Law....
Adel Abdul Mahdi - The Islamic Dawa PartyIslamic Dawa PartyThe Islamic Dawa Party or Islamic Call Party is a political party in Iraq. Dawa and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council are two of the main parties in the religious-Shiite United Iraqi Alliance, which won a plurality of seats in both the provisional January 2005 Iraqi election and the longer-term...
led by transitional Prime MinisterPrime Minister of IraqThe Prime Minister of Iraq is Iraq's head of government. Prime Minister was originally an appointed office, subsidiary to the head of state, and the nominal leader of the Iraqi parliament. Under the newly adopted constitution the Prime Minister is to be the country's active executive authority...
Ibrahim al-JaafariIbrahim al-JaafariIbrahim abd al-Karim Hamzah al-Eshaiker al-Jafari is an Iraqi politician who was Prime Minister of Iraq in the Iraqi Transitional Government from 2005 to 2006, following the January 2005 election. He was previously one of the two Vice-Presidents of Iraq under the Iraqi Interim Government from 2004... - The Iraqi National CongressIraqi National CongressThe Iraqi National Congress is an umbrella Iraqi opposition group led by Ahmed Chalabi. It was formed with the aid and direction of the United States government following the Gulf War, for the purpose of fomenting the overthrow of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.-History:INC was set up following the...
of Ahmed ChalabiAhmed ChalabiAhmed Abdel Hadi Chalabi is an Iraqi politician. He was interim oil minister in Iraq in April-May 2005 and December-January 2006 and deputy prime minister from May 2005 until May 2006. Chalabi failed to win a seat in parliament in the December 2005 elections, and when the new Iraqi cabinet was... - The Islamic Virtue PartyIslamic Virtue PartyIslamic Virtue Party is an Iraqi political party. It follows ayatollah Muhammad Ya`qubi a student of Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr and thus represent a branch of the Sadrist Movement, however the party is not affiliated with Muqtada al-Sadr and is in fact a rival to his branch of the Sadrists...
, which includes the Governor of BasraBasraBasra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
, Mohammed al-Waili - Iraqi Hezbollah, led by former Iraqi Governing CouncilIraqi Governing CouncilThe Iraqi Governing Council was the provisional government of Iraq from July 13, 2003 to June 1, 2004. It was established by and served under the United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority...
member Sheikh Abdel-Karim Mahoud al-MohammedawiAbdel-Karim Mahoud al-MohammedawiAbdel-Karim Mahoud al-Mohammedawi was a member of the Interim Iraq Governing Council created following the United States's 2003 invasion of Iraq...
, who led the rebellion by the Marsh ArabsMarsh ArabsThe Marsh Arabs , also known as the Maʻdān , are inhabitants of the Tigris-Euphrates marshlands in the south and east of Iraq and along the Iranian border....
against Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
. - A number of independent politicians, including some supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr (although other Sadr supporters formed the National Independent Cadres and ElitesNational Independent Cadres and ElitesThe National Independent Cadres and Elites is an Iraqi political party. It represents Shi'ites who do not support the approach of the United Iraqi Alliance. It is closely associated with the movement of Moqtada al-Sadr and the Mahdi Army...
party).
In advance of the December 2005 elections, Moqtada al-Sadr's party chose to join the Alliance. However, the Iraqi National Congress
Iraqi National Congress
The Iraqi National Congress is an umbrella Iraqi opposition group led by Ahmed Chalabi. It was formed with the aid and direction of the United States government following the Gulf War, for the purpose of fomenting the overthrow of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.-History:INC was set up following the...
and Iraqi Hezbollah left the Alliance to form their own lists.
In a blow to the Alliance, Ayatollah
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Ali al-Sistani announced that he would not back any particular party for the election; he merely encouraged people to vote "according to their beliefs." He is said to have been disappointed with the performance of the transitional government.
It was initially reported before the election that the UIA seats would be split between the parties as follows:
- Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in IraqSupreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in IraqThe Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq is an Iraqi political party. Its political support comes from the country's Shi'a Muslim community. Prior to his assassination in August 2003, SCIRI was led by Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim; afterwards it was led by the ayatollah's brother, Abdul Aziz...
(SCIRI) - 30 places - Moqtada al-Sadr's party - 30 places
- Islamic Dawa PartyIslamic Dawa PartyThe Islamic Dawa Party or Islamic Call Party is a political party in Iraq. Dawa and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council are two of the main parties in the religious-Shiite United Iraqi Alliance, which won a plurality of seats in both the provisional January 2005 Iraqi election and the longer-term...
- 29 places - Islamic Virtue PartyIslamic Virtue PartyIslamic Virtue Party is an Iraqi political party. It follows ayatollah Muhammad Ya`qubi a student of Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr and thus represent a branch of the Sadrist Movement, however the party is not affiliated with Muqtada al-Sadr and is in fact a rival to his branch of the Sadrists...
- 14 places - others - 15 places
Analysis of the seat allocation after the elections showed that the 109 district seats and 19 compensatory seats won by the UIA were split as follows:
- Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in IraqSupreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in IraqThe Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq is an Iraqi political party. Its political support comes from the country's Shi'a Muslim community. Prior to his assassination in August 2003, SCIRI was led by Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim; afterwards it was led by the ayatollah's brother, Abdul Aziz...
(SCIRI) and Badr - 21 + 15 - Moqtada al-Sadr's party - 25 + 3
- Islamic Virtue PartyIslamic Virtue PartyIslamic Virtue Party is an Iraqi political party. It follows ayatollah Muhammad Ya`qubi a student of Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr and thus represent a branch of the Sadrist Movement, however the party is not affiliated with Muqtada al-Sadr and is in fact a rival to his branch of the Sadrists...
- 14 + 1 - Islamic Dawa PartyIslamic Dawa PartyThe Islamic Dawa Party or Islamic Call Party is a political party in Iraq. Dawa and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council are two of the main parties in the religious-Shiite United Iraqi Alliance, which won a plurality of seats in both the provisional January 2005 Iraqi election and the longer-term...
- 13 - Islamic Dawa Party - Iraq OrganisationIslamic Dawa Party - Iraq OrganisationThe Islamic Dawa Party was formed in 1957 in the Iraqi holy City of Najaf. Their aim was to create a movement which would promote Islamic values and ethics, and which would become an instrument for political activeness. This came at a time when there was widespread ignorance about religion and...
- 12 - independents and others - 24
http://historiae.org/UIA.asp
The Kurdistan Alliance (#730)
This Kurdish-dominated coalition was formed for the January 2005 election by the two main Kurdish parties -- the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Kurdish Autonomous Region President Masoud Barzani and the Patriotic Union of KurdistanPatriotic Union of Kurdistan
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is a Kurdish political party in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan was founded on June 1, 1975, by coordinations between Jalal Talabani and Nawshirwan Mustafa...
of the transitional Iraqi President
Presidency Council of Iraq
The Presidency Council of Iraq is an entity currently operating under the auspices of the "transitional provisions" of the Constitution of Iraq and previously under the Transitional Administrative Law....
Jalal Talabani
Jalal Talabani
Jalal Talabani is the sixth and current President of Iraq, a leading Kurdish politician. He is the first non-Arab president of Iraq, although Abdul Kareem Qasim was half Kurdish....
-- plus some other smaller parties. The DPAK formed a coalition government with the UIA in the wake of the January 2005 elections.
This coalition will also contest the December elections, but the smaller Kurdistan Islamic Union
Kurdistan Islamic Union
Kurdistan Islamic Union is an Islamist party in Iraqi Kurdistan is in principle independent and is directly responsible for policy matters. The party has close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.-Events:...
, who won 10 percent of the seats in the Dahuk and Sulaymaniyah governorate elections in January, has announced that it will form its own governmental lists.
Iraqi National List (#731)
The Iraqi ListIraqi List
The Iraqi List is a political party list in the Iraqi National Assembly election, 2005, consisting of mainly secular Shia. It is dominated by the Iraqi National Accord led by former exile and interim prime minister Iyad Allawi...
was established by Iyad Allawi
Iyad Allawi
Ayad Allawi is an Iraqi politician, and was the interim Prime Minister of Iraq prior to Iraq's 2005 legislative elections. A prominent Iraqi political activist who lived in exile for almost 30 years, the politically secular Shia Muslim became a member of the Iraq Interim Governing Council, which...
, who served as interim Prime Minister before the January 2005 election. It is dominated by his Iraqi National Accord
Iraqi National Accord
The Iraqi National Accord known inside Iraq as Wifaq is an Iraqi political party founded by Iyad Allawi and Salah Omar Al-Ali in 1991. Al-Ali subsequently left the party after he realised the extent of Allawi's links to foreign intelligence agencies, mainly the C.I.A. and MI6.It was founded at the...
party.
For the December 2005 election, it has joined forces with former interim President
Iraqi Interim Government
The Iraqi Interim Government was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until the Iraqi Transitional Government was installed following the Iraqi National Assembly election conducted on January 30, 2005...
Ghazi al-Yawar's The Iraqis
The Iraqis
The Iraqis is an Iraqi political party led by Vice-President Ghazi al-Yawar. It was the largest Sunni party to participate in the January 2005 Iraqi election. During the election campaign, al-Yawar was President of Iraq, a then largely symbolic but still prominent position. The party consists of...
list, the People's Union
People's Union (Iraq)
The People's Union was the main communist party list in the January 2005 Iraqi legislative election. It is made up of the Iraqi Communist Party and independent candidate Hikmat Dawud Hakim. Before the election, it attempted to form a wider coalition among secularist groups, but this effort failed...
list (which is dominated by the Iraqi Communist Party
Iraqi Communist Party
Since its foundation in 1934, the Iraqi Communist Party has dominated the left in Iraqi politics. It played a fundamental role in shaping the political history of Iraq between its foundation and the 1970s. The Party was involved in many of the most important national uprisings and demonstrations...
), and the Sunni Arab politician Adnan Pachachi
Adnan Pachachi
Adnan al-Pachachi or Adnan Muzahim Amin al-Pachachi is a veteran Iraqi politician and diplomat. Pachachi was Iraq's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1959 to 1965 and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq from 1965 to 1967; he again served as Permanent Representative to the UN...
and his Assembly of Independent Democrats
Assembly of Independent Democrats
The Assembly of Independent Democrats is an electoral coalition that participated in the January 30, 2005 National Assembly legislative election in Iraq...
to form a single list called the Iraqi National List. This list will attempt to present a secular and trans-community alternative to the other major lists, which are more based on the support of a single ethnic or religious groups.
Iraqi Accord Front (#618)
The Iraqi Islamic PartyIraqi Islamic Party
The Iraqi Islamic Party is currently the largest Sunni Islamist political party in Iraq as well as the most prominent member of the Iraqi Accord Front political coalition. It is currently part of the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki...
party originally registered for the January elections but then decided to boycott the polls, which meant that it did not gain any seats. It has decided to participate in the December elections, forming a list called the Iraqi Accord Front
Iraqi Accord Front
The Iraqi Accord Front or Iraqi Accordance Front also known as Tawafuq is an Iraqi Sunni-Islamist political coalition created on October 26, 2005 by the Iraqi Islamic Party to contest the December 2005 general election...
with two other smaller parties, the Iraqi Peoples' Gathering and the Iraqi National Dialogue. These parties aim to tap the Sunni Arab vote; Sunni Arabs overwhelmingly boycotted the January election, but increased Sunni participation in the constitutional referendum
Iraqi constitution ratification vote, 2005
The electorate of Iraq went to the polls on 15 October 2005 to vote in a referendum on whether or not to ratify the proposed constitution of Iraq. After 10 days of counting votes, the country's electoral commission announced that the constitution had been approved by a wide margin nationwide...
may indicate an increased Sunni turnout for the December elections, especially because more than 1,000 Sunni clerics called on their followers to vote, according to the New York Times. However, the Association of Muslim Scholars
Association of Muslim Scholars
The Association of Muslim Scholars is a group of religious leaders in Iraq. It was formed on the April 14, 2003, four days after the U.S.-led invasion demolished the Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein, by a group of scholars who aimed to represent Sunnis in Iraq...
, which is influential in the Sunni community, has called for a boycott of the December elections, which could have an adverse impact on the Iraqi Accord Front's success.
Other lists
- National Peace List (#635) Led by Laith Kubba, the spokesman of the current Iraqi PM, Ibrahim Al-Jaafari
- Arabic List (#615)
- Independent Karbala CoalitionIndependent Karbala CoalitionThe Independent Karbala Coalition is an electoral list which competed in the Iraqi legislative election, December 2005...
(#533) - A Shi'ite group based in KarbalaKarbalaKarbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people .... - Brotherhood and Peace ListBrotherhood and Peace ListThe Brotherhood and Peace List is one of the electoral lists which contested the Iraqi legislative election, December 2005.-Member parties:Brotherhood Independent Gathering.AL Sheikh Ali Abd Al Husain Kamouneh....
(#737) - National Congress Coalition (#569) - Made up of the Chalabi's Iraqi National CongressIraqi National CongressThe Iraqi National Congress is an umbrella Iraqi opposition group led by Ahmed Chalabi. It was formed with the aid and direction of the United States government following the Gulf War, for the purpose of fomenting the overthrow of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.-History:INC was set up following the...
and some smaller groups including the monarchist Iraqi Constitutional MonarchyIraqi Constitutional MonarchyThe Iraqi Constitutional Monarchy is a monarchist political party in Iraq led by Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein.Al-Hussein is related to the Hashemite royal family which ruled Iraq until 1958...
. Current Justice Minister Abd al-Husayn Shandal has also joined this block. The list is mostly Shi'ite, but with some Sunnis. - Al-Risaliyun (#631), “The Upholders of the MessageThe Upholders of the MessageThe Upholders of the Message, is an Iraqi political list that ran in the December 2005 elections. This list won 1.2 % of the popular vote, thus receiving two seats. The members are supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr and they were allowed to join the United Iraqi Alliance primary election for the Iraqi...
” (or “Message Party” or “Progressives” in the IECI translation). This is a list of Sadrists that do not support the UIA and was backed by one of al-Sadr’s collaborators, sheikh Abdul-Hadi al-Darraji. - Yazidi Movement for Reform and ProgressYazidi Movement for Reform and ProgressThe Yazidi Movement for Reform and Progress is a Yezidi political party in Iraq. The party represents Yezidi people in the Nineveh plains.It ran in the December 2005 elections and won 0.2 % of the popular vote, thus receiving one seat in the Iraqi parliament .The party won a local governorate seat...
(#668). YazidiYazidiThe Yazidi are members of a Kurdish religion with ancient Indo-Iranian roots. They are primarily a Kurdish-speaking people living in the Mosul region of northern Iraq, with additional communities in Transcaucasia, Armenia, Turkey, and Syria in decline since the 1990s – their members emigrating to...
minority party. - Islamic CoalitionIslamic CoalitionThe Islamic Coalition was an electoral list which contested the Iraqi legislative election of December 2005.It was formed by two parties which were members of the main religious Shi'ite-majority list, the United Iraqi Alliance, for the Iraqi legislative election of January 2005 - the Islamic Action...
(#549) - Justice and Future Coalition (#517)
- Al Nahrain National List (#752) - An Iraqi Christian list
- Al Wafaa For Basrah Gathering (#512)
- Iraqi National Dialogue Front (#667) - A mainly Sunni coalition, unlike the accord it is avowedly secular and opposed to the new constitution. It is led by Saleh al-Mutlak, who was a leader of Sunni opposition to the new constitution.
- Furation-Human Rights (#647)
- Mithal Al Aloosi List For Iraqi Nation (#620)
- Watanion Gathering (#814)
- Iraq Sun (#652)
- Al Khalas National Front (#798)
- Iraq Turkmen Front (#630)
- Unified National List (#829)
- Iraqi Free Progressive Party (#568). Its leader, Iraqi Sunni politician Mizhar Dulaimi was shot dead while campaigning in RamadiRamadiRamadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
on December 13. The previous night, he had appeared on television urging Sunnis to take part in the elections. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4523972.stm - Assembly of Independent Iraqis (#565) . A secular resistance-supporter list led by former electricity minister dr.Ayham al-SamarieAyham al-SamarieAiham Alsammarae is a nationalistic, Sunni, Iraqi politician who served as Minister of Electricity from August 2003 until May 2005...
.
Fraud allegations
On December 22, 2005 Sunni Arab and secular Shiite factions demanded that an international body review election fraud complaints, and threatened to boycott the new legislature. The United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
rejected the idea.
Large demonstrations broke out across Iraq on December 23, 2005 to denounce the parliamentary elections. Protesters said that the elections were rigged in favor of the main religious Shiite coalition. Many Iraqis outside the religious Shiite coalition allege that the elections were unfair to smaller Sunni Arab and secular Shiite groups. As many as 20,000 people demonstrated after noon prayers in southern Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. Over 2,000 people demonstrated in Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, accusing Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
of involvement in the election.
Sheik Mahmoud al-Sumaidaei of the Association of Muslim Scholars
Association of Muslim Scholars
The Association of Muslim Scholars is a group of religious leaders in Iraq. It was formed on the April 14, 2003, four days after the U.S.-led invasion demolished the Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein, by a group of scholars who aimed to represent Sunnis in Iraq...
, a major Sunni clerical group, told followers during prayers at Baghdad's Umm al-Qura
Umm al-Qura
Umm al-Qura University is a public university in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It was established as the College of Shari`a in 1949 before being joined by new colleges and renamed Umm al-Qura by royal decree in 1981....
mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
that they were "living a conspiracy built on lies and forgery."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051223/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_051223155816
Violence grew over the controversial election results. Car bombings and attacks on US and Iraqi officials continued after the elections. In Mosul Qusay Salahaddin
Qusay Salahaddin
Qusay Salahaddin was as Sunni Arab student in Mosul. Salahaddin was the head of the student union of the University of Mosul. Gunmen abducted Salahaddin on December 22, 2005. His body was found the following Sunday, December 25, 2005....
, a Sunni Arab student leader was abducted and killed after leading a demonstration against the election results. Some 2,000 fellow students gathered at the mosque where Salahaddin's body was taken. Sunni's quickly accused militia forces loyal to one of the main parties in the Shiite Alliance bloc for Salahaddin's death. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the murder.
External references
- Uncertified results released January 20, 2006 (on the website of the Iraqi Election Commission)
- Election Law (from the Election Commission website
- Apportionment of 230 seats among the 18 Governorates
- Pakistan Daily Times
- Iraqi Election Commission Fact Sheet
- The Hill Iraq’s pre-election political landscape proves complex
- List of parties
- Iraq the Model goes deep inside the Iraqi election
- An Average Iraqi look at the Possible Winners
- Iraqi Voters Choose First Permanent Constitutional Government
- Straw poll shows close race in Iraq
- Iraq takes another step down a long, hard road, The EconomistThe EconomistThe Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, December 16, 2005 - Sunni Leader Open to Coalition Government
- Shiites,Kurds Lead in Polls
- Christian slate wins narrow plurality in U.S. expat voting