Al Anbar governorate election, 2009

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Al Anbar Governorate election, 2009
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←  2005 31 January 2009 (2009-01-31) 2013  →
All 29 seats for the Al-Anbar governorate council
Turnout 40% (Increase2.svg38%)

 First partySecond party
 
Leader Ahmed Abu Risha Saleh al-Mutlaq
Party Iraq Awakening and Independents National Alliance Iraqi National Dialogue Front
Last election00
Seats before00
Seats won86
Seat changeIncrease2.svg8Increase2.svg6
Popular vote56,26253,487
Percentage17.7%16.9%
SwingIncrease2.svg17.7%Increase2.svg16.9%
 Third partyFourth party
 
Leader Tariq al-Hashimi Jamal Al-Karboli
Party Coalition of Intellectuals and Tribes Al-Hal
Last election290
Seats before290
Seats won63
Seat changeDecrease2.svg23Increase2.svg3
Popular vote51,73323,835
Percentage16.3%7.5%
SwingDecrease2.svg55%Increase2.svg7.5%
Governor of Al Anbar before election

Maamoon Sami Rasheed al-Alwani
Iraqi Islamic Party

Subsequent Governor

Qasim Al-Fahdawi
Independent

The Al Anbar Governorate election of 2009 was held on 31 January 2009 alongside elections for all other governorates outside Iraqi Kurdistan and Kirkuk.

Al Anbar Governorate Governorate in Iraq

Al Anbar Governorate, or Anbar Province, is the largest governorate in Iraq by area. Encompassing much of the country's western territory, it shares borders with Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The provincial capital is Ramadi; other important cities include Fallujah and Haditha.

Governorates of Iraq administrative territorial entity of Iraq

Iraq presently consists of 19 governorates, also known as "provinces". As per the Iraqi constitution, three or more governorates can join to form an autonomous region. Baghdad and Basra are the oldest standing administrative regions of Iraq while In 2014 the decision was made to create the Halabja Governorate out of the Halabja District of Sulaymaniyah Governorate.

Iraqi Kurdistan Iraqi part of Kurdistan

Iraqi Kurdistan, officially called the Kurdistan Region of Iraq by the Iraqi constitution, is an autonomous region located in northern Iraq. It is also referred to as Southern Kurdistan, as Kurds generally consider it to be one of the four parts of Greater Kurdistan, which also includes parts of southeastern Turkey, northern Syria, and northwestern Iran.

Contents

Background

The governorate is overwhelmingly populated by Sunni Arabs. The sitting governorate council was elected in the Iraqi governorate elections, 2005. These elections took place at the same time as the Iraqi legislative election, January 2005 and were boycotted by nearly all Sunni Arab parties. The Iraqi Islamic Party was the only significant Sunni Arab party to put up candidates but they also withdrew from the ballot days before the election.

Iraqi Islamic Party

The Iraqi Islamic Party is the largest Sunni Islamist political party in Iraq as well as the most prominent member of the Iraqi Accord Front political coalition. It was part of the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and is part of the current government of Haider al-Abadi since 2014. Osama Tawfiq al-Tikriti succeeded Vice-President Tariq al-Hashimi as the party's secretary-general on 24 May 2009, who was succeeded in July 2011 by Ayad al-Samarrai.

The turnout in Anbar was 2% for the legislative elections and only 0.5% for the governorate election. [1] Therefore, although the Iraqi Islamic Party has traditionally been stronger in Mosul, they ended up with nearly all the seats on the governorate council.

From 2004, the governorate became a major site of the insurgency in Iraq directed against the Iraq government and occupying United States army. However, the formation in September 2006 of the Anbar Salvation Council was a turning point, and led to the American-backed tribal forces driving al-Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgents out of al-Anbar.

Anbar Salvation Council is a collection of tribal militias in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, formed by former Ba'athists and nationalists to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq and other associated terrorist groups. In Arabic the council is known as Sahawa Al Anbar, abbreviated SAA when referred to by the US Army. The council has become a model for awakening movements across Iraq, though the Iraqi Defense Ministry has said that it plans to disband the Awakening groups due to concerns about their origins and future intent.

Campaign

More than 520 candidates stood in Anbar, from 37 party lists. [2] The main contest was between the Iraqi Islamic Party which ran the council since 2005 and various parties linked to the Awakening movements formed by tribal leaders and funded by the United States to fight against al-Qaeda in Iraq. Analysts predicted the IIP standing on their own would be "wiped out" in Anbar by the Awakening movements. [3] the Iraqi Islamic Party formed the Coalition of Intellectuals and Tribes together with uniting the Islamic Party, the gathering of Anbar’s Tribal Leaders and Intellectuals, Iraq’s People’s Conference and the Independent Tribal National Gathering. [4]

Lists associated with the Awakening movements included the Iraq Awakening and Independents National Alliance and the National Front for the Salvation of Iraq. The Alliance was led by Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha, Sheikh Amir Ali al-Sulaiman and Sheikh Hameed al-Hayyes [3] Sheikh al-Hayyes left the Alliance before the election and contested as head of the "Anbar Salvation Council" list. [5]

The Iraq Awakening and Independents National Alliance is an Iraqi political coalition formed to contest the Al Anbar governorate election, 2009. It obtained 8 out of 29 seats - the highest of any party list.

The National Front for the Salvation of Iraq is a political party in Iraq. It developed out of the Awakening movements and is mostly made up of Sunni Muslim tribal leaders from Al-Anbar province, an ethnic Arab region.

Ahmed Abu Risha Iraqi politician

Sheik Ahmed Bezaa Abu Risha is a Sunni leader in the Al-Anbar province, and led the movement of Sunni tribesmen known as the Anbar Salvation Council.

The National Front was led by Sheikh Ali Hatim, the tribal leader of the Dulaim tribal confederation - the largest in Anbar - and has previously clashed with Abu Risha's brother, Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, when he was the head of the Anbar Salvation Council. [6] The Front claimed the support of the Anbar Salvation Council, the Al-Anbar Awakening Congress, and the Council of Al-Anbar Sheikhs. [7]

The Tribes of Iraq Coalition, headed by Hamid al-Hais is another list which claims to be backed by tribal leaders.

Saleh al-Mutlak's Iraqi National Dialogue Front is the only significant list that doesn't rely on support from tribal leaders, being based on former Ba'ath Party supporters. [2]

Results

Following the vote, supporters of the IIP and the Sahawa gathered in the capital, Ramadi, and started firing in the air to celebrate victory. Iraqi police quickly dispersed the groups and announced a curfew.

Early leaked results indicated that the lists backed by the IIP had won 12 of the 29 seats on the council - the largest number for any party. Sahawa supporters accused the IIP of adding 100,000 fraudulent ballot papers and threatened a violent reaction if it was confirmed. Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha threatened to "transfer our entity from a political to a military one" and "to fight the Islamic Party and the [Electoral] commission". [8] [9] The IIP condemned the threats of violence saying this behaviour would "take us back to the Middle Ages" [9]

The Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq and IIP member, Rafi al-Issawi, called for a recount with people accused of fraud prosecuted. Iraqi National Dialogue Front leader Saleh al-Mutlaq said most of the lists thought the IIP had manipulated the vote, he had seen fraudulent ballots himself and the vote had been "tainted". [10]

The Electoral Commission said they had received a flood of complaints which they were investigating - including some serious complaints that could alter the outcome of the vote. Commission officials met with Abu Risha, assured him they would not tolerate any forgery and asked him to avoid confrontation with the IIP. [11]

Following the election, the Iraq Awakening and Independents National Alliance nominated as governor Qasim Al-Fahdawi, a businessman who had recently been running a construction company in the United Arab Emirates. He was elected by 24 votes to 3 and formed a government including all parties except for the Iraqi Islamic Party's three members. [12] Dr. Jassim al-Halbusi was elected chairman of the provincial council.

e  •  d  Summary of the 31 January 2009 Al Anbar governorate election results
CoalitionAllied national partiesSeats (2005)Seats (2009)ChangeVotes%±%
Iraq Awakening and Independents National Alliance 1-8Increase2.svg856,26217.74%Increase2.svg17.74%
Iraqi National Dialogue Front -6Increase2.svg653,48716.87%Increase2.svg16.87%
Coalition of Intellectuals and Tribes Iraqi Islamic Party 346Decrease2.svg2851,73316.32%Decrease2.svg54.99%
National Movement for Development and Reform -3Increase2.svg323,8357.52%Increase2.svg7.52%
Iraqi National List Iraqi National Accord -2Increase2.svg221,5516.80%Increase2.svg6.80%
Iraqi National Unity Coalition -2Increase2.svg214,4394.55%Increase2.svg4.55%
Tribes of Iraq Coalition -2Increase2.svg213,7984.35%Increase2.svg4.35%
Reconciliation and Liberation Bloc 4-Decrease2.svg4
Independent Iraqi Alliance3-Decrease2.svg3
Other Parties81,96925.85%
Total4129-12317,074100%
Sources: this article - [13]

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Abu Risha may refer to:

The Tribes of Iraq Coalition also known as the Anbar Salvation Council is an Iraqi political coalition formed to contest the Al Anbar governorate election, 2009 which won 2 out of 29 seats. The party was one of several formed out of the Awakening movements - Sunni tribal militias armed and financed by the United States Army to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq. The coalition was led by Sheikh Hamid al-Hais. In an interview with the Washington Post prior to the election, Hais said he would kill all the Iraqi Islamic Party's candidates if anything happened to any of his candidates.

Osama Maukhlif Tawfiq al-Tikriti is a former leader of the Iraqi Islamic Party, a Sunni Arab religious party which was the largest Sunni Arab led party in the Iraqi legislative election of December 2005. He succeeded Tariq al-Hashimi, Vice President of Iraq, as leader of the IIP when al-Hashimi left the party to form the Renewal List. Tikriti took over as Secretary General of the IIP on 24 May 2009. Ayad al-Samarrai was elected as his Deputy.

Qasim Al-Fahadawi Iraqi politician

Qasim Mohammad Abid Hammadi al-Fahadawi is an Iraqi politician and businessman who is the current Minister of Electricity in the Al Abadi Government, and who previously served as the Governor of Anbar from April 2009 to August 2013.

The Intellectuals and Tribes Alliance for Development or Coalition of Intellectuals and Tribes was an Iraqi political list which stood in the Al Anbar governorate election, 2009. The list was created by the then ruling Iraqi Islamic Party because their popularity had severely decreased. They formed an alliance together with the Coalition of Intellectuals and Tribes together with uniting the Islamic Party, the gathering of Anbar’s Tribal Leaders and Intellectuals, Iraq’s People’s Conference and the Independent Tribal National Gathering. The list won 15.9% of the vote and 6 out of 29 seats.

Unity Alliance of Iraq

The Unity Alliance of Iraq commonly known as Iraq's Unity, Iraqi Unity or Wassat is an Iraqi political coalition formed to contest the Iraqi parliamentary election, 2010. The coalition was formed by Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha, the head of the Awakening movement, a Sunni tribal militia which was successful in significantly reducing the insurgency in al-Anbar Governorate and was then reformed into a political party, the Iraq Awakening and Independents National Alliance, which won the most seats in the Al Anbar governorate election, 2009. The Awakening Alliance joined forces with Iraq's Shi'a interior minister Jawad al-Bolani and his secular Iraqi Constitutional Party and Ahmed Abdul Ghafour al-Samarrai's Sunni Endowment. The list is led by Jawad al-Bolani.

The Al Anbar governorate election of 2013 was held on 20 June 2013 alongside elections for Ninevah.

Islamic State of Iraq Sunni jihadist group that aimed to establish an Islamic state in Iraq from 2006 to 2013

The Islamic State of Iraq was a militant Salafist jihadist group that aimed to establish an Islamic state in Sunni, Arab-majority areas of Iraq during the Iraq War and later in Syria during the Syrian Civil War.

Muttahidoon

The Uniters for Reform Coalition is a Sunni political coalition in Iraq.

Ali Hatem al-Suleiman

Ali Hatem Abd al-Razzaq Ali al-Suleiman al-Assafi al-Dulaimi is a Sunni sheikh in Anbar province. He is the former Emir of the Dulaim tribe, a position now held by his brother, Abdulrazzaq Hatem Abd al-Razzaq Ali al-Suleiman al-Assafi al-Dulaimi.

References

  1. ↑ 3,775 out of an electorate of 765,002:
    Provincial Politics in Iraq - Freagmentation or Awakening?, Washington Institute , 1 April 2008, accessed on 12 January 2009
    Al Anbar Province Details, Al Sumaria , 4 February 2009
  2. 1 2 Iraq Election Highlights Ascendancy of Tribes, Washington Post , 24 January 2009
  3. 1 2 Anti-Qaeda sheikhs vie for west Iraq in poll, International Herald Tribune , 23 January 2009
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
  5. ↑ alliance building in anbar: sunnis join cross-sectarian trend Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine ., Niqash , 16 September 2009
  6. ↑ Tribal Coalition in Anbar Said to Be Crumbling, Washington Post , 11 June 2007, accessed on 25 January 2009
  7. ↑ National Front for Salvation of Iraq Leader Vows to Fight Islamic Party, Asharq al-Awsat, 25 September 2008
  8. ↑ Absent election results, Iraq parties stake claims, Los Angeles Times , 4 February 2009
  9. 1 2 Who are big winners in Iraq election? Depends on whom you ask Archived 2009-02-07 at the Wayback Machine ., Chicago Tribune , 4 February 2009
  10. ↑ Iraq deputy PM calls for recount in former rebel bastion, AFP via New African , 4 February 2009
  11. ↑ Iraq investigating serious vote fraud allegations, Reuters , 4 February 2009
  12. ↑ In Iraq's Anbar province, the Awakening grapples with a new role, Los Angeles Times , 4 May 2009
  13. ↑ final election results, Niqash , 2009-02-25
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