Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 9 / Trend , T.Jafarov, R.Hafizoglu /
The failure of pro-Iranian Shiite parties and the victory of parties, connected with the national government, showed in municipal elections in Iraq that the influence of Tehran in Iraq is weakening.
The elections showed that the Iraqi people supports the national and liberal parties, says head of the Iran-Arab Research Center Alireza Nourizade.
The Electoral Commission of Iraq released preliminary results of municipal elections (90 per cent of the vote). The Al-Dawa party headed by Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki took the first and the Union for Jural State Party the second place. The Sadr and Islamic Supreme Council parties collected a small number of votes. The New-York Times newspaper described the outcome of the elections as a success of the Iraqi Government and the U.S., but the failure of Iran.
Experts believe that strengthening the central government in Iraq reduces Iran's influence in this country than the outcome of the elections.
The elections in Iraq have been unsuccessful first off all for Iran and parties, which support Iran (Islamic Shiite parties in Iraq), Nourizade said to Trend in a telephone conversation from London. The Iraqi people focus special attention on the national unity and independence, rather than on religious values. "The victory of Al-Maliki party in the elections is directly due to exclusion of the 'Islamic" word from the name of the Al-Dawa party, and successes reached in security of Iraq," Nourizade said.
Taking an active participation in the elections the Iraqi people demonstrated that it does not believe in Islamic parties, in particular, does not trust to parties, which are under the influence of other Islamic countries, Nourizade added.
In accordance with preliminary results of the elections, the Al-Dawa party collected 38 and 37 percent of votes in Bagdad and Basra respectively.
The Islamic Supreme Council party, chaired by Abdulaziz Hakimi, collected 8.14 percent in Najaf city,
6.11 percent - in Basra and 6.14 percent - in Amara. The Sadr movement, headed by Mugtada Al-Sadr, collected only five percent in Basra.
On the other hand, the participation of those Iraqi Sunnis from northern and central regions which boycotted the 2005 elections changed the balance of force in the country.
Iran's dream to impact on Iraq will not be realized, Nourizade said. "Iraq entered a new stage after elections."
The principal obstacle for Iran to impact on Iraq is strengthening of the central government but not elections, chairman of Iraq's Parliament Fovzi Akramoglu told Trend over phone from Baghdad.
The reason of Sunnies' participation in elections was not to weaken Iran's impact on Iraq, he said. Many positive changes took place in policy of Iraq's government. Sunnies understood that boycott would harm the country.
The opinion that pro-Iranian and Iraq's Shia parties convert the country to a colony of official Tehran is not true, Akramoglu said. "Iraq has its own policy," he said..
Sunnies' participation in elections will strengthen independence and power of the country, Akramoglu said.
U.S repeatedly accused Iran of committing diversions and weakening of Iraq's central government. Iran has profound effect on Iraq than the U.S, a report of Chatham House British Research Center spread in August 2006 says.
Most experts consider up to now that the U.S presented Iraq to Iran at "golden saucer". But municipal elections proved the reverse. "Elections in Iraq demonstrated that Iran will not have profound effect on Iraq."
Elections in Iraq will not greatly affect Iran's impact in Iraq, Ahmad Zeydabadi, Iranian expert on Central East countries said.
Only Iraq's central government can do something regarding Iran's impact in Iraq, he said.
Foreign countries' impact on this country reduces by strengthening of Iraq's government, Zeydabadi said.
Iraq's government took responsibilities to ensure security in the country.
Presently, the number of diversion movements reduced in Iraq.
Iraq tries to preserve relations with Iran. But Iraq's government must not allow Iran's officials to interfere diplomacy.
Presently, Iraq and Iran assist each other in some issues and try to keep diplomatic relations, Zeydabadi told Trend over phone from Tehran.
Zeydabadi considers that an agreement on control of Sadr movement by Iranian and Iraqi official figures and withdrawal of National Mujaheds organization is possible to be signed.
Iraqi radical mullah Mugtada al-Sadr is currently receiving education in Iranian city Kum. Head of "Mehdi" army, who waged war against governmental and foreign powers in 2005-2006, stopped fighting in 2007.
In coming three months, National Mujaheds will be deported, national security advisor of Iraq Muvaffag al-Rabii said at a news conference in Baghdad on Feb.6.
On Dec.23, "National Opposition Organization" (National Mujaheds), headquarters of which is located in Paris, condemned the Iraqi government's intention to deport the members of the organization in Iraq. The Iraq government demanded to deport National Mujaheds from the country. Their headquarters named Ashraf is located in Iraq.
Ashraf includes 3,500 national Mujaheds by Iranian origin. This organization is in opposition against the Iranian government. Its members backed Saddam Hussein in Iran-Iraq war. Iran repeatedly demanded Iraq to submit them.
The experts think after that, Iranian-Iraqi relations will develop within bilateral agreements and mutual decisions.
Zeydabadi thinks that the strengthening of the Iraqi government is a key factor displaying the independence of the country.
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