IslamOnline.net - Iraq Elections

Iraq Vote Means Shiites Must Seek Allies

Shi’ites may have won the lion’s share of the vote in Iraq’s elections but the main alliance will still have to find new allies if it wants a majority in the new parliament.

Financial Times: Power-Sharing Key to Iraq’s Political Future

Iraq has hosted no less than three momentous handovers of power by the US-led coalition since the end of the war in 2003.

The New York Times: Split Verdict in Iraqi Vote Sets Stage for Weak Government

The razor-thin margin apparently captured by the Shiite alliance here in election results announced Sunday seems almost certain to enshrine a weak government.

Sadr Group Says Future Government “Illegitimate”

The future Iraqi government would lack the needed legitimacy, a spokesman for Shiite leader Moqtada Al-Sadr said.

Iraqi Sunnis Link Constitution Drafting Role to Pullout

Iraq’s leading Sunni religious authority said it would help draft the new constitution provided that a timetable for US withdrawal has been set up.

Fareed Zakaria: Elections Are Not Democracy

The United States has essentially stopped trying to build a democratic order in Iraq, and is simply trying to gain stability and legitimacy.

Shiites and Elections

IslamOnline hosted a live dialogue with Fathallah Ghazi Al-Esmaili, editor in chief of Ishrakat Al-Sadr newspaper, who is running for parliament.