Iraq

Strong support for Iraq PM in provincial elections

Article published on the 2009-02-06 Latest update 2009-02-06 14:53 TU

Iraq PM Nuri al-Maliki
(Photo: Reuters)

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his supporters have scored major gains in the country's provincial elections. The results of polls held last weekend show his backers are in the lead in most parts of the country. Maliki did not contest the provincial elections, but he supported candidates standing for the State of Law Coalition.

The coalition took the largest share of votes in Baghdad and in eight of Iraq's nine Shia-dominated provinces. The poll in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces were the most peaceful since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Preliminary results show that Maliki's State of Law Coalition won 38 per cent of votes in the capital Baghdad and 37 per cent in the second city of Basra. Final results are not expected for several weeks.

The victory is seen as a major vote of confidence in the prime minister. These elections were heralded as a test of Iraq's progress since the US-led invasion nearly six years ago.

The last poll in 2005 took place against the backdrop of a brutal insurgency between US and government forces, sectarian violence between Shiite and Sunni communities and a Sunni Arab boycott.

Although Maliki is being hailed as the country's dominant political force, some commentators believe that the prime minister's position is not that strong.

"He has done well in the elections," says journalist and author Patrick Cockburn.

"He has come first in most of the Shia provinces, but bear in mind he hasn't won many votes among the Sunnis who make up 20 per cent of the population or in Kurdistan which is another 20 per cent," says Cockburn from The Independent newspaper.

The results come as UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon paid a surprise visit to Baghdad for talks with Maliki. He said he wanted to congratulate the Iraqi people and show the support of the international community during this momentous time.

Ban's visit is his first since the expiry at the end of last year of a UN mandate that was put in place after the March 2003 invasion.