Iraq’s recent election was supposed to remove Nouri al-Maliki from power, but the prime minister, sounding rather like a Bond villain, declared “the game is still very much on.” Now a governmental commission created to keep Baathists out of public life says that on the night before the election it banned six candidates who went on to win.

Guess that’s what happens when George W. Bush, that model of a participant in free and fair elections, is your liberator and sponsor. — PZS

The Guardian:

The body, known as the Accountability and Justice Commission, played a prominent role in the lead-up to the election in March, outlawing dozens of candidates and sparking fears of another mass Sunni boycott, as well as concerns that it had a political agenda. The six candidates were banned on the eve of the election.

Ali Faisal al-Lami, the commission’s head, who was a losing Shia contender in the poll, refused today to reveal their names. However, it is understood that at least three hail from the Iraqiya party of Ayad Allawi, whose slender two-seat victory over rival Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister before the election, gave him the stronger claim on forming a government.

Read more

Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig