Political turmoil over Basra governorship amid electoral sanctions
Shafaq News / Amidst the political landscape in Iraq, the Basra governorship, a pivotal administrative post in the country's economic domain, has become the focal point of escalating tensions among political factions. The Coordination Framework's firm stance against extending terms for former governors clashes with the determination of the "Tasmeem" Alliance, spearheaded by Basra's top-ranking local council elections victor, Governor Asaad al-Eidani.
Electoral sanctions
The Electoral Commission explained the procedures for imposing sanctions by the Board of Commissioners on the winners of the recent provincial council elections.
The legal advisor at the Electoral Commission, Hassan Salman, informed Shafaq News Agency that "dozens of electoral violations occur in every election, whether local or parliamentary." He clarified that "these violations cannot be decided upon directly by the Board of Commissioners unless they are submitted by the Commission's monitoring teams, which naturally cannot encompass all these violations due to their limited staff or because they are submitted by affected parties before the Board."
Salman illustrated that "sanctions imposed on some winners in the local elections were due to complaints presented before the Board of Commissioners." He elaborated that "the decisions issued against these winners resulted from breaching the electoral campaign, reinforced by decisions issued by the Cabinet prior to the commencement of the electoral campaign. These decisions included prohibiting the distribution of residential land to citizens during the electoral campaigns by officials."
At the end of 2023, the Board of Commissioners issued Decision No. 35, punishing four winning candidates from the Tasmeem Alliance, including the current governor, Asaad al-Eidani, with a fine of three million dinars each due to their violation of Article 10 of Electoral Campaign Law No. 2 of 2023, based on the provisions of Article 5, secondly, of the Complaints and Appeals Law of 2023.
Al-Eidani could face imprisonment!
Legal expert Ahmed Al-Abadi commented on the Board of Commissioners' Decision No. 35, penalizing several members of the Tasmeem Alliance, including the governor, Asaad Al-Eidani, known among Basra locals as "Al-Sheikh".
Al-Abadi told Shafaq News Agency that "the Board of Commissioners' decision penalized the winning members of the Tasmeem Alliance in the recent local elections, including Al-Eidani, with a fine of three million dinars, based on the provisions of Article 10 of Electoral Campaign Law No. 2 of 2023 and Article 5, secondly, of the Complaints and Appeals Law of 2023."
He explained that "the decision included referring the files of those penalized to the joint audit teams of the Integrity Commission and the Financial Control Bureau responsible for reviewing and auditing the procedures related to granting and distributing land during the electoral propaganda period."
Al-Abadi continued, "If the joint teams find evidence of abuse of official position and misappropriation of public funds by the penalized individuals, including Governor Asaad Al-Eidani, the matter will be referred to the competent Integrity Misdemeanor Court according to the provisions of Article 340 of the amended Iraqi Penal Code No. 111 of 1969."
He added, "In the event of conviction and imprisonment of the penalized individuals, including Al-Eidani, they would be disqualified from membership in the upcoming Basra Provincial Council, as they would no longer meet one of the membership requirements of the Council stipulated in the law of governorates not organized by a region."
Tasmeem: Prepared for legal battle
The winning Tasmeem Alliance, securing the top position in Basra's elections, asserted that "Asaad Al-Eidani, the leader of the list, is the candidate for the position of governor in Iraq's primary economic city," while emphasizing that "the penalties from the Board of Commissioners are merely publicity."
Amer Al-Fayez, a prominent figure in the Alliance, mentioned to Shafaq News Agency, "The Tasmeem Alliance has reached semi-final understandings with the Coordination Framework and the winning blocs in Basra regarding the governor's post. Governor Asaad Al-Eidani remains in his position, and we have no alternative candidate for him."
Al-Fayez pointed out that "the Coordination Framework's decision to replace all governors, even those who won the elections, was inaccurate and misinterpreted. The matter was raised within the Framework's leadership meeting but did not gain acceptance. Therefore, the proposal was shelved."
He added, "Regarding the Board of Commissioners' decision on penalties against several members of the Tasmeem Alliance who won the recent local elections, we consider it purely as a media gesture. Some of those penalized for distributing land parcels during electoral campaigns were not officials in Basra's local government, so how could they distribute land parcels to citizens?"
Al-Fayez stressed that "the Tasmeem Alliance is prepared for the legal battle initiated against it in the competent courts following its top rank in Basra. It possesses sufficient arguments to counter those who filed against it."
Demonstrations precede electoral approval
Meanwhile, reliable sources in Basra revealed preparations for what they described as a "major" demonstration demanding the continuity of Al-Eidani in the governor's post.
The sources informed Shafaq News Agency that "thousands of Al-Eidani's supporters are gearing up for a significant demonstration ahead of the approval of local election results, demanding his remain in the governor's role and rejecting any forced removal by certain political blocs in the gpvernorate."
Furthermore, today, Wednesday, Member of Parliament representing the State of Law Coalition, Mohammed Al-Ziyadi, affirmed to Shafaq News Agency the "continuation of discussions between political blocs to finalize the appointment of new governors," indicating that the retention of the governors of Karbala and Basra in their positions is "far from reality."
