Saraya al-Salam: Basra protests are rival election ploy
Shafaq News – Basra
On Monday, Saraya al-Salam, the armed wing of Iraq’s Patriotic Shiite Movement (Sadrist), framed the timing of mounting protests across several districts in Basra ahead of the November 11 parliamentary elections as a “political maneuver.”
Speaking to Shafaq News, Saad al-Maliki, the group’s spokesperson, accused rival blocs of inciting demonstrations to manipulate voter sentiment and destabilize strongholds ahead of the polls.
He argued that opponents are reviving long-standing issues like water salinity—not to solve them, but to score quick electoral points.
Read more: Elections on schedule, legitimacy in doubt: Iraq heads toward November vote
Citing al-Hayaniyah as the initial protest site, al-Maliki implied it was chosen to target Sadrist candidates rumored to be active there, pointing to reports of vandalized campaign materials as evidence. He also flagged the spread to al-Tamimiya—a district with deep Sadrist support—as a strategic provocation aimed at shifting blame and fueling division.
Demonstrations later reached al-Ashar, with residents in all three districts burning tires and blocking roads in anger over salt-contaminated water and poor access to clean supplies.
Basra, Iraq’s southernmost province and a key electoral battleground, has over 1.6 million eligible voters and 25 parliamentary seats, including six reserved for women.
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