The controversial disqualifications of hundreds of candidates are casting a pall on the legitimacy of the upcoming parliamentary elections, amid fears that the ugly face of sectarian violence might pop up again.
"There are no doubts that the coming elections are being seen as illegitimate," Mark Jefreens, an international observer, told IslamOnline.net.
"Months before the polls, no one had alerted about any Baath support and when Sunnis started to get important expressions in the street’s vox pop, the central government comes out with this accusations."
An integrity and accountability committee upheld last week a ban barring 480 candidates from contesting the March 7 elections on alleged links to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party.
Two Sunni stalwarts, Saleh al-Mutlak and Dhafer al-Ani from the secular Iraqiya list of former premier Iyad Allawi, are among those disqualified.
The controversial decision surprisingly reversed a judicial panel decision allowing the candidates to stand for the polls on condition that their cases be examined after the vote and those found to be Baathists would be eliminated.
"Nuri al-Maliki used his position as prime minister to force the Supreme Judicial Council to make a final decision in few days," said Abdel-Waleed Raja’a, a political expert and professor at Mustansiriyah University.
Iraqiya list has suspended its election campaign to protest the decision, warning of chaos over the ban.
"Prepare yourself for all possibilities," Mutlak told a meeting of tribal leaders in Baghdad, accusing the Maliki government of being influenced by Iran.
"We are faced with difficult choices during the next few days," he added.
"This situation generates serious questions about the value of the coming elections… and the creation of crisis and the sowing of chaos."
Violence Fears
Experts warn that the ban could plunge the country back into a new cycle of sectarian violence.
"They want to show a clear involvement of those candidates without significant proofs and are opening doors to an uncontrolled chaos," warns Raja’a, the analyst and university professor.
"Ordinary Iraqis have to prepare themselves for constant attacks that have already started to be reported since the first announcement."
Two people were injured in a bomb attack against the North Baghdad headquarters of Mutlak’s election list Sunday.
Another bomb was thrown into the garden of a building used by Sunni scholars, including poll candidates.
Two people were also wounded when a bomb struck the HQ of the Moderate Movement list in Karrada, east Baghdad, and a third was hurt when a bomb hit a building used by an election list led by Nehru Abdulkarim al-Keznazani.
The vote, the second parliamentary ballot since the 2003-led US invasion, is seen as a test of reconciliation between the Sunnis who ruled under Saddam and the Shiites who came to power after his ouster.
But the recent attacks are fanning fears about the outbreak of sectarian violence again.
The country fell into deadly sectarian violence in 2005, leaving thousands of people killed and displaced.
"Maliki is signing his authorization to the violence in the country," charged Jefreens, the international observer.
But he believes Maliki's popularity and election chances are not as strong as they were in the previous elections.
"Locals are too tired of losing their loved ones, which could reflect in the poll final results, decreasing the participation of his bloc in government seats."
"There are no doubts that the coming elections are being seen as illegitimate," Mark Jefreens, an international observer, told IslamOnline.net.
"Months before the polls, no one had alerted about any Baath support and when Sunnis started to get important expressions in the street’s vox pop, the central government comes out with this accusations."
An integrity and accountability committee upheld last week a ban barring 480 candidates from contesting the March 7 elections on alleged links to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party.
Two Sunni stalwarts, Saleh al-Mutlak and Dhafer al-Ani from the secular Iraqiya list of former premier Iyad Allawi, are among those disqualified.
The controversial decision surprisingly reversed a judicial panel decision allowing the candidates to stand for the polls on condition that their cases be examined after the vote and those found to be Baathists would be eliminated.
"Nuri al-Maliki used his position as prime minister to force the Supreme Judicial Council to make a final decision in few days," said Abdel-Waleed Raja’a, a political expert and professor at Mustansiriyah University.
Iraqiya list has suspended its election campaign to protest the decision, warning of chaos over the ban.
"Prepare yourself for all possibilities," Mutlak told a meeting of tribal leaders in Baghdad, accusing the Maliki government of being influenced by Iran.
"We are faced with difficult choices during the next few days," he added.
"This situation generates serious questions about the value of the coming elections… and the creation of crisis and the sowing of chaos."
Violence Fears
Experts warn that the ban could plunge the country back into a new cycle of sectarian violence.
"They want to show a clear involvement of those candidates without significant proofs and are opening doors to an uncontrolled chaos," warns Raja’a, the analyst and university professor.
"Ordinary Iraqis have to prepare themselves for constant attacks that have already started to be reported since the first announcement."
Two people were injured in a bomb attack against the North Baghdad headquarters of Mutlak’s election list Sunday.
Another bomb was thrown into the garden of a building used by Sunni scholars, including poll candidates.
Two people were also wounded when a bomb struck the HQ of the Moderate Movement list in Karrada, east Baghdad, and a third was hurt when a bomb hit a building used by an election list led by Nehru Abdulkarim al-Keznazani.
The vote, the second parliamentary ballot since the 2003-led US invasion, is seen as a test of reconciliation between the Sunnis who ruled under Saddam and the Shiites who came to power after his ouster.
But the recent attacks are fanning fears about the outbreak of sectarian violence again.
The country fell into deadly sectarian violence in 2005, leaving thousands of people killed and displaced.
"Maliki is signing his authorization to the violence in the country," charged Jefreens, the international observer.
But he believes Maliki's popularity and election chances are not as strong as they were in the previous elections.
"Locals are too tired of losing their loved ones, which could reflect in the poll final results, decreasing the participation of his bloc in government seats."
