Nouri al-Maliki: Drawn by the election’s energy, I will continue to serve as prime minister.
In an interview with the local TV station “Dajla”, Nouri al-Maliki said that many Iraqis, influenced by some political leaders, have refused to participate in the elections, and this harms the power of the parliament as the main driver of the political process and the elected government, so he personally ran in this election to encourage people to participate as much as possible.
The former prime minister, of two terms (2006-2010 and 2010-2014), emphasized that the presence of top political leaders in parliament can once again revitalize the political process in Iraq.
Regarding his intention to assume the post of prime minister for the third time in Iraq, he noted that running for this position in Iraq has nothing to do with the number of votes obtained in the elections, but rather the process of selecting the prime minister has a different mechanism.
The former Iraqi prime minister said that at this stage, the main goal is to confront the despair and disillusionment among the general public with the political process in the country, and this situation can be confronted by revitalizing the parliament.
Al-Maliki also added: “If the State of Law coalition or the Grand Coordination Framework coalition (the grand coalition of Shiite political groups) sees me as suitable for the post of prime minister and asks me to accept this post, then I will not fail to fulfill my responsibility and duty, but I will not strive for the post of prime minister.”
According to IRNA, the Iraqi parliamentary elections will be held on November 11. The number of eligible voters is over 21 million, who will go to the polls to choose their representatives from more than 7,000 candidates from 31 electoral coalitions.
The number of seats in the Iraqi parliament is 329, and the parliamentarians are responsible for electing the president of the country and approving the appointment of the prime minister and cabinet ministers.
The Iraqi Independent High Election Commission announced that more than 1.25 million biometric voting cards will be distributed to voters. Also, the Baghdad Operations Command conducted the first simulation exercise to ensure the security of polling centers in line with the security preparations and preparations for the successful holding of the elections.