Alliance Towards Reforms تحالف سائرون للإصلاح | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Hassan al-Aquli[1][2][3](Political leader) Muqtada al-Sadr(Spiritual leader) |
| Founded | 25 January 2018[4] |
| Dissolved | 24 July 2021[5] |
| Ideology | Iraqi nationalism[6] Anti-corruption[6] Factions: Social democracy[7] Syncretic politics[8] Shi'a political thought[9] Communism |
| Political position | Big tent[10] |
| Colors | Dark cyan Turquoise |
TheAlliance Towards Reforms orMarching Towards Reform (Arabic:تحالف سائرون للإصلاح), also known by its Arabic short formSaairun (Arabic:سائرون,Saairun,lit. 'Forward'[11]), was anIraqielectoral coalition formed to gain political control in the2018 general election. The main components were theShi’aIslamist Sadrist Integrity Party, theleftistIraqi Communist Party,[12] the Youth Movement for Change Party, the Party of Progress and Reform and the Iraqi Republican Group and the State of Justice Party.[13][14] The alliance won 54 seats, more than any other coalition in the election.
In theprevious election, theSadrists (a Shia movement emerging in the 1990s to oppose PresidentSaddam Hussein) had run as theAl-Ahrar Bloc and won 34 seats.[15] They initially supported theal Abadi government, withBaha al-Araji serving as one of the Deputy Prime Ministers.[16] However, they later withdrew this stance, organizing protests against government corruption and sectarianism. On 30 April 2016, supporters of the Alliance Towards Reforms occupied the Council of Representatives in protest.[17]
The coalition effectively ended when theIraqi Communist Party decided to boycott the2021 general election.[5]
During a visit to Iran three months before the election, seniorIranian politicianAli Akbar Velayati declared: "We will not allow liberals and communists to govern Iraq," in reference to the Alliance. This comment was criticized by Iraqi secular MPs as interference in the internal affairs of Iraq.[18]
The2018 elections saw significant gains for the Alliance Towards Reforms. They won 17 seats in Baghdad, 6 seats in Dhi Qar, 5 in Maysan and Basra, 4 in Najaf and Babil, 3 in Karbala, Qadissiya and Wasit, and 2 seats in Muthanna and Diyala.[19] Acommunist woman representing the Alliance, Suhad al-Khateeb, was elected in the2018 elections to represent the city ofNajaf which was deemed to be one of the most religious and conservative cities in Iraq. Khateeb, who is a teacher and ananti-poverty andwomen's rights activist, said upon her victory: "We, the Communist party, have a long history of honesty - we were not agents for foreign occupations. We want social justice, citizenship, and are against sectarianism. This is also what Iraqis want."[20]
| Election year | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1,500,862 | (#1) | 54 / 329 |  54 | Coalition Partner |
| Major political parties | |
|---|---|
| Minor political parties |
|
| Reserved Christian seats (5) |
|
| Reserved minority seats (3) |
|
| Unrepresented in parliament |
|
| Banned |
|
