Najaf elects a chairman of recently elected provincial council

Shafaq News/ The Najaf Provincial Council on Monday convened to elect a new chairman and deputy chairman in its first session since the December 2023 elections.

Hussein Al-Issawi was elected chairman of the council by unanimous vote, while Ghaith Shabaa' was elected deputy chairman.

The council then adjourned for half an hour to discuss the election of a new governor.

The election of new provincial councils and governors is a key part of Iraq's political process. The councils are responsible for overseeing the local government and providing essential services to the public.

The elections were held on December 18, 2023, and were the first provincial elections to be held in Iraq since 2013. The polls were seen as a test of the popularity of the country's main political parties and were marked by 41% turnout amid boycott from the Sadrist movement.

The results of the elections showed that the pro-Iranian Coordination Framework alliance had won the most seats in the councils. The alliance is made up of mainly Iran-backed Shiite political parties.