IRAQIS NOT EXPECTING CHANGES IN THEIR LIVES AFTER ELECTION: Initial results in Iraq’s elections have been as expected: The Shiite bloc led by nationalist cleric Moqtada Al Sadr is in the lead, and the Shiite bloc led by pro-Iran groups has emerged as the main loser. In the 2018 elections, the Sadrists did well to win 54 seats in the 329-member parliament. But this time, they’ve done even better, and are slated to win 70. What are we to read into this? The fact is, people want an independent Iraq. One that is free of interference from its neighbours. However, there is nothing more people expect from the poll results. More of the same faces will fill parliament. The election was marred by apathy, and a record-low turnout of 41 per cent. People are not expecting any real changes in their daily lives. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]
AFP