Baha Al-Nouri, MP from the State of Law Coalition
Media Monitor
State of Law MP: Middle East shifts won’t sway Iraq’s upcoming elections
BAGHDAD – Baha Al-Nouri, an Iraqi parliamentarian from Nouri Al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition, said Wednesday that developments in the Middle East will not affect the results of Iraq’s upcoming elections.
He called for distinguishing between what he described as “current resistance factions” and the political groups that fought Saddam Hussein’s regime, whose armed wings later integrated into the Popular Mobilization Forces. Al-Nouri reaffirmed his coalition’s “support” for limiting weapons to state control and urged the government to address armed factions.
Excerpts from Baha Al-Nouri’s interview U TV:
The Coordination Framework forces are not affected by external changes, and Middle East events will not influence the Iraqi voter.
Candidates may change, but the entities remain the same. I expect there will be a list for the Prime Minister, another for the State of Law, one for the Sadrist Movement if they decide to participate, and others.
The current forces will continue to dominate the political scene, but their rhetoric or approach may change depending on developments.
Iraq is compelled to import gas from Iran until a solution to the electricity problem is found.
There must be a distinction between the current resistance factions and the political forces that fought Saddam’s regime, which had armed wings that later integrated into the Popular Mobilization Forces.
As for the resistance factions, it is the government’s responsibility to address them, and we support restricting weapons to state control.
