Contentious election session held in Baghdad
Diyala elects new governor amid protests
BAGHDAD – After months of political deadlock, the Diyala Provincial Council elected a new governor, council chairperson, and their deputies in a contentious session held in Baghdad on Thursday. In the session attended by 11 out of the 15 council members, Adnan Jair Al-Shammari from the Shia State of Law Coalition was elected governor, and Omar Al-Karawi from the Sunni Sovereignty Alliance was appointed provincial council chairperson.
The election of Al-Shammari and Al-Karawi came amid protests from former Governor Muthanna Al-Tamimi, the Badr Organization’s nominee for the position. Al-Tamimi and three other council members from his tribe boycotted the Baghdad session. The session was relocated to Baghdad due to protests by members of the Bani Tamim tribe, who had surrounded the Diyala Provincial Council building.
The State of Law Coalition is led by former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, while the Badr Organization, once an armed group, is headed by Hadi Al-Ameri, a politician with close ties to Iran.
Al-Tamimi and his tribe opposed holding the session outside Diyala, with banners urging, “Do not hold the meeting in Baghdad.” Deputy governor positions went to the Sunni Taqaddum and Azm parties, while the Shia Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq group received the deputy council chairperson position. No positions went to the Kurds in Diyala, who hold one seat in the Council.
The “Our Diyala National Coalition,” led by Al-Tamimi, which secured over 107,000 votes, did not receive any positions. Provincial councils in Iraq, dissolved in 2020 and later reinstated, act as legislative and oversight bodies for provincial operations. They have financial independence and are supervised by the Iraqi Parliament.
The controversial election of Al-Shammari may affect Diyala’s internal politics, which are deeply divided along sectarian, ethnic, and partisan lines. This election represents a setback for the Badr Organization, influential in the governorate. The Badr Organization, which has long regarded the governorate as a key area of influence, may be significantly impacted by recent developments, as its leader Hadi Al-Ameri hails from the governorate.
The Diyala Council’s vote might also affect relations between the constituent blocs of the Shia Coordination Framework, Iraq’s core governing coalition primarily comprised of groups with close ties to Iran, particularly as parliamentary elections are expected next year. Diyala is a strategic governorate due to its diverse demographic makeup, its location on the northern flank of Baghdad, and its proximity to Iran.
With the fate of Diyala’s local government now settled, Kirkuk remains the only governorate without a new local government, despite ongoing efforts by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to resolve the deadlock.
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