Following a marathon election campaign, many observers predicted success for emerging new players on Iraq’s political stage—and diminishing fortunes for established parties who have been on the scene since the US-led invasion in 2003.

As polling day on Oct. 10 approached, there were fears that parties with armed wings might use force to compensate for their anticipated poor showing. This is while the Iraqi people had demonstrated a strong desire to change the political map and halt the deterioration of public services and mismanagement by the state during the anti-establishment protests that first erupted in October (Tishreen) 2019...