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removed Category:History of Basra Governate; added Category:History of Basra Governorate using HotCat

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{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2009 Basra Governorate election
| country = Iraq
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = Iraqi governorate elections, 2005#Basra Governorate
| previous_year = 2005
| previous_mps =
| next_election = 2013 Basra governorate election
| next_year = 2013
| next_mps =
| seats_for_election = All 35 seats for the Baghdad Governorate council
| elected_mps =
| election_date = {{Start date|2009|1|31|df=yes}}


| image1 = [[File:Al-Maliki, Nouri (2008).jpg|100px|Nouri al-Maliki]]
| leader1 = [[Nouri al-Maliki]]
| party1 = State of Law Coalition
| last_election1 = 3
| seats_before1 = 3
| seats1 = 20
| seat_change1 = {{increase}}17
| popular_vote1 = 239,007
| percentage1 = 37%
| swing1 = {{increase}}
| colour1 = FF0000


| image2 = [[File:Abdul Aziz al-Hakim 2004-Jan-20.jpg|100px|Abdul Aziz al-Hakim]]
| leader2 = {{nowrap|[[Abdul Aziz al-Hakim]]}}
| party2 = Al-Mehraab Martyr List
| last_election2 = 20
| seats_before2 = 20
| seats2 = 5
| seat_change2 = {{decrease}}15
| popular_vote2 = 74,879
| percentage2 = 11.6%
| swing2 = {{decrease}}
| colour2 = 009933


| image3 =
| leader3 = al-Faiz
| party3 = Gathering of Justice and Unity
| last_election3 = 0
| popular_vote3 = 34,862
| percentage3 = 5.4%
| swing3 = {{increase}}5.4%
| seats_before3 = 0
| seats3 = 2
| seat_change3 = {{increase}}2
| colour3 =


| image4 =
| leader4 = {{nowrap|[[Muqtada al-Sadr]]}}
| party4 = Sadrist Movement
| last_election4 = 2
| popular_vote4 = 32,020
| percentage4 = 5.96%
| swing4 = {{increase}}
| seats_before4 = 2
| seats4 = 2
| seat_change4 = No change
| colour4 = 000000

| map_image =
| map_size =
| map_caption =

| title = [[Baghdad Governorate|Governor of Baghdad]]
| posttitle = Subsequent Governor
| before_election = [[Muhammad al-Waili]]
| before_party = Islamic Virtue Party
| after_election = [[Shitagh Abbud]]
| after_party = State of Law Coalition
}}

The '''[[Basra Governorate|Basra governorate]] election of 2009''' was held on 31 January 2009 alongside elections for all other [[Governorates of Iraq|governorates]] outside [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] and [[Kirkuk]].

== Background ==

One seat in the election is reserved for [[Assyrian Christian]]s <ref>[http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/6526675.html Iraqi parliament approves amendment for provincial election law], ''[[Xinhua]]'', 2008-11-03</ref>

Basra is the main oil-producing and transit centre in Iraq, which has led to intense competition over control of its Governorate.<ref name=LAT/> It has been the centre of competition between the al-Maliki Federal government, which controls the police and army, the Islamic Virtue Party Governor of Basra which controls the Oil Protection Corps and local militias from the [[Sadrist Movement]] and [[Tharallah]]. Following the [[Battle of Basra (2008)|Battle of Basra]] in 2008, the central government seized control of the city's streets from the Sadrist Movement and the security situation improved.

In April 2007, [[SIIC]] successfully brought a no-confidence motion against Governor Waili. This dismissal was ratified by Prime Minister [[Nouri al-Maliki]] in July, but eventually overturned by the Supreme Court.<ref name=LAT>[http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-basra28-2008dec28,0,4041520.story In Basra, political skirmishing heats up as elections near], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', 2008-12-28</ref>

The central government has organized "''[[Awakening movements in Iraq|Local Support Committee]]''" militias, has spent [[USD|$]]100 million in reconstruction projects and has started paying unemployment benefits in the province. This was expected to lead to an increased support for Prime Minister [[Nouri al-Maliki]]'s [[Islamic Dawa Party]].<ref name=LAT/>

Meanwhile, the Islamic Virtue Party dropped Waeli from its candidate list, reportedly due to his "''polarizing''" effect.<ref name=LAT/>

In a move away from their traditional apolitical stance, a list with a core support from the [[Shaykhism|Shaykhiya]] religious community stood for the first time.<ref>[http://www.historiae.org/candidates.asp The Candidate Lists Are Out: Basra More Fragmented, Sadrists Pursuing Several Strategies?], ''Historiae'', 2008-12-12</ref>

== Basra Region ==
{{see also|Basra Federal Region}}
In November 2008 [[Wael Abdul Latif]], an Independent Islamist MP backed by tribal Sheikhs, submitted a petition to the Electoral Commission of Iraq signed by 34,800 people calling for a vote on a [[Region of Iraq]] covering only the governorate of Basrah.<ref>[http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-24661-Basra-heading-towards-independent-region.html Basra heading towards independent region] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001101752/http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-24661-Basra-heading-towards-independent-region.html |date=2011-10-01 }}, ''[[Al Sumaria]]'', 2008-11-17, accessed on 2009-01-05</ref> The Sadrist movement opposed the move, saying it was "''playing with fire''" as did the [[Islamic Dawa Party]] of Prime Minister [[Nouri al-Maliki]]. [[SCIRI]] remained neutral, as it supports a nine-province Region covered the whole of southern Iraq. As the petition was signed by more than 2% of the population, the commission published an official request for signatures; if more than 10% of the population had signed it before 15 January 2009, a referendum would have been held within 15 days.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081121185247/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1859465,00.html A New Twist in Iraq's Shi'ite Power Struggle], ''[[Time magazine]]'', 2008-11-16, accessed on 2009-01-05</ref><ref>[http://www.historiae.org/basra_initiative.asp The Basra Federalism Initiative Enters Stage Two], ''Historiae'', 2008-12-15</ref> In the event, the initiative failed to reach 10% and was struck down by the Electoral Commission. Backers accused the al-Maliki federal government of blocking their media campaign and appealed the decision to the Federal Court.<ref>[http://www.rferl.org/content/Autonomy_Referendum_For_Iraqs_South_Struck_Down/1372452.html Autonomy Referendum For Iraq's South Struck Down], ''[[Radio Liberty]]'', 2009-01-20</ref>

== Results ==

{{election table|title=Summary of the 31 January 2009 [[Basra Governorate|Basra governorate]] election results}}
|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
!style="text-align:left;vertical-align:top;" |Coalition 2005/2009!! Allied national parties !! Leader !!Seats (2005) !! Seats (2009) !! Change !!Votes
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[State of Law Coalition]] || style="text-align:left;" | [[Islamic Dawa Party]] ||[[Nouri Al-Maliki]]|| 3 || 20 ||+17 || 239,007
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[Al Mihrab Martyr List]] || style="text-align:left;" |[[Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq|ISCI]]|| [[Abdul Aziz al-Hakim]]|| 20 || 5 || -15 || 74,879
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[Gathering of Justice and Unity]] || || || - || 2 || +2 || 34,862
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[Independent Free Movement List]] || style="text-align:left;" |[[Sadrist Movement]] || [[Muqtada al-Sadr]] || 2 || 2 || - || 32,020
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[Iraqi Islamic Party]]|| style="text-align:left;" |Iraqi Islamic Party ||[[Tariq al-Hashimi]] || - || 2 || +2 || 24,817
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[Iraqi National List]]|| style="text-align:left;" |[[Iraqi National Accord]] ||[[Iyad Allawi]] || 4 || 2 || -2 || 21,091
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[Islamic Virtue Party]] || style="text-align:left;" |Islamic Virtue Party ||[[Abdelrahim Al-Husseini]] || 12 || 1 || -11 || 20,932
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |[[Chaldean Democratic Union Party]] <Br>(Assyrian reserved seat) || style="text-align:left;" |CDUP ||[[Ablahad Afraim Sawa]] || - || 1 || +1 || 227
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Other Parties|| || || || || || 198,274
|-
| colspan=2 style="text-align:left;" |'''Total''' || || 41 || 35 || -6 || 646,109
|-
| colspan=5 style="text-align:left;" |Sources: [[2005 Iraqi governorate elections|this article]] - [http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-27667-Iraq-provincial-elections-preliminary-results.html Al Sumaria] - [http://baghdadbureau.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/election-preliminary-results/ New York Times] - <ref>[http://www.niqash.org/content.php?contentTypeID=75&id=2395&lang=0 final election results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111012021158/http://www.niqash.org/content.php?contentTypeID=75&id=2395&lang=0 |date=2011-10-12 }}, ''[[Niqash]]'', 2009-02-25</ref>
|}

== See also ==

* [[Assyrian politics in Iraq#Iraqi Governorate Elections 2009]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{Iraqi governorate elections, 2009}}

[[Category:2009 Iraqi governorate elections]]
[[Category:Basra Governorate in the Iraq War]]
[[Category:History of Basra Governorate]]

2009 Basra governorate election - Revision history

imported>XTheBedrockX: removed Category:History of Basra Governate; added Category:History of Basra Governorate using HotCat