Poll fraud fuels fear, tensions in Iraq

More than three weeks after Iraqis voted in parliament elections, pro-Iran Shiite militias that emerged as the biggest losers are still rejecting the outcome of the vote, thrusting the country into uncertainty and political crisis.

The standoff is also increasing tensions among rival Shiite factions that could reflect on the street and threaten Iraq’s newfound relative stability.

The election results further exposed the dangerous political divisions among Shiite factions. Shiite Muslims make up the majority of Iraq’s estimated 40 million people.