A coalition led by a firebrand Shiite cleric whose militia killed hundreds of Americans in the Iraq War emerged as the early front-runner Monday with half the vote counted in Iraq's national election.
Partial returns from Saturday's balloting — the first since Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State militant group — were announced by the country's electoral commission and put Muqtada al-Sadr's political alliance in the lead in four provinces, including Baghdad.
If the results hold, al-Sadr, whose Mahdi Army was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighborhood and southern Iraq, could be in a position to determine Iraq’s next leader. Al-Sadr has repeatedly called for the complete withdrawal of all American troops from Iraqi soil.
Al-Sadr is a nationalist opposed to all foreign influence, including both U.S. and Iranian. He campaigned on a platform that criticized Iraq’s current political leadership as deeply corrupt.
Al-Sadr did not run for election but commands a coalition, known as Sairoon, which won by a large margin in Baghdad, which accounts for the largest number of seats in Iraq’s 329-member parliament that in turn selects the prime minister. A ticket led by the commander of a Shiite militia close to Iran came in second, according to preliminary results release Sunday night.
Al-Abadi’s coalition, which was Washington’s favorite and had been expected to win, was running fifth in Baghdad and third nationwide in the preliminary returns.
Al-Sadr’s surprise early lead raises the prospect of Iraq’s government being headed by someone both hostile to the United States and opposed to Iran’s spreading influence in the country. Al-Sadr has recently campaigned against corruption and can summon millions into the streets to protest policies he opposes.
https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/longtime-us-foe-takes-surprise-early-lead-in-iraq-elections-1.526710