Supporters of Shiite armed parties and factions have been protesting the results of Iraq’s Oct. 10 parliamentary elections. Demonstrators have set up camp in front of the Green Zone in central Baghdad, where government headquarters and diplomatic missions are located—including the US embassy.

Protesters first set up tents on Oct. 19, in an attempt to put pressure on the authorities to either amend the election results or conduct a manual vote count demanded by the Shiite Coordination Framework.

Less votes, but not irrelevance

The Shiite Coordination Framework, an umbrella body that was set up in the aftermath of the anti-establishment protests that emerged in Oct. 2019, brings together key Shiite political blocs. Key members include former premiers Nouri Al-Maliki (2006-14) and Haidar Al-Abadi (2014-18), in addition to Fatah Alliance leader Hadi Al-Ameri, Hikmah Movement chief Ammar Al-Hakim and Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) chairman Falih Al-Fayyadh. Of note, Muqtada Al-Sadr left the Coordination Framework in July this year.

Whether with or without political wings, Shiite armed factions feel that the results of the Oct. 10 elections will...