Iraq: High Electoral Commission Grants License To Shiite Militia

Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission granted a registration license May 23 to the new political party of the Shiite militia group Asaib Ahl al-Haq, The Baghdad Post reported. Though many Shiite entities in Iraq have both political and military wings (including Asaib Ahl al-Haq's Sadeqoon bloc), the commission's decision gives Asaib Ahl al-Haq the right to be the first to register its political party under the name of its militia. This could enable the group to leverage its popularity among Iraq's Shiite community to gain more seats in Parliament.