Foreign States Spending Millions of Dollars to Affect Iraqi Election Results: Adviser
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior adviser to Iraq’s prime minister said certain foreign countries have spent millions of dollars to affect the outcome of national elections in Iraq.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Ali al-Mousawi described the upcoming parliamentary elections as "vital" and "historic", and said the polls are so important that foreign countries have invested millions of dollars to influence the results.
He added that certain regional Arab states seek to disrupt the political process in Iraq and impede the elections by aiding paramilitary and terrorist groups.
Al-Mousawi, however, underlined that parliamentary elections will be held on schedule all over Iraq without any delay.
Iraq is gearing up for parliamentary elections on the 30th of April. Campaigning has begun for the polls, with no single party expected to win an absolute majority.
The walls in the capital of Baghdad and other cities around the country are plastered with photos of candidates vying for the 328 seats in the Council of Representatives.
Meanwhile, Iraq is experiencing a surge in violence, with al-Qaeda-linked militants regaining momentum, especially in the country’s west.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Al-Mousawi rejected reports about Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s imminent visit to Tehran, but at the same time said Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari is going to visit Iran in the future.
He described Baghdad’s ties with Tehran as being very good, saying, “This country (Iran) is very important to us and we seek to expand (bilateral) relations in all areas.”