blessed they would be if they had permit necessary conditions for every one blur participated and free, just transparent and competitive presidential elections within special operation and want to hold it. but president ortega is going ahead with the election overseen only by his close allies. and in another, unprecedented move, he has band foreign correspondent from entering the country, while hundreds of his critics have gone into hiding or into exile here in neighboring costa rica. ah, there are reports that ortega loyalists to going house to house, to intimidate voters, to cast a ballot that could make a difference in the turn out, but not in the outcome which is already a given. she and human al jazeera sonco se costa rica ah ha, then this is out of here. and these are the headlines. iraq's

leaders have condemned to what they're calling an assassination attempt on the prime minister as a heinous and cowardly act. armed drones target, targeted must of alchemy is residence in baghdad, screens own in the early hours of sunday. he is a billing for calm and restraint, while security forces investigate math another why here has this update from baghdad. the focus now is to know to try to collect evidence, to get to know where the drones would a launch it from. now, the spokesman of the prime minister must have alchemy also now said that at 3 drones were used in the attack, 2 of them will shut down by auntie oh craft weapons. and following that attack, a lot of statements condemning the attack and expressing sympathy was prime minister. most of us cather, me from local, regional, and international and institutions. thousands of people rallied. and if you appears

capital and supportive government forces, passing a rebel advance, the decline, rebels have captured strategic towns along the highway to the capital. and also threatened to move on, addis ababa? libya is electro commission says it will open candidate nominations for presidential parliamentary elections on monday. according to a un docked plan, the vote is scheduled to take place on december 24th. the police in sudan have 5 tear gas to disperse teacher the rallying against last month. power grabbed by the military. the protests are part of an ongoing civil disobedience campaign by pro democracy activists demonstrators of set up barricades and blog streets. as you can see, to denounce any power sharing agreement with the military garza, the main power plant is under threat of shut down juice, a severe fuel shortages. the energy authority says it will be forced to suspend operations if it doesn't get more fuel by the end of sunday. the supply of diesel stopped on tuesday. well,

those are the headlines inside stories. next one is off to the news. news, news, news. news protests against iraq's election results turned violent parties that suffered losses insist. last month's pole was a fraud. people are increasingly frustrated at the political system. so what's next for a rack? this is inside story. ah ah. hello and welcome to the program. i'm rob matheson, iraq's prime minister, has opened an investigation into violent protests against last month's election. at

least 4 people were killed on friday when security forces open fire to clear demonstrators in baghdad, dozens more were injured. the fata alliance. so pro iranian political groups had called the demonstrations alley results. show the alliance one about 15 seats, that's down from 48 in the previous parliament. the biggest winner appears to be the party of shia cleric mocked other asada. electoral commission began a recount of some of the votes last week and said so far, the results haven't changed, but that hasn't stopped the processors claims of fraud. and thus, the lot i love more these price has to is a citizens who came out asking for a manual, recounts of the election. it is their rice written in the constitution like these a citizen. so came out from all the provinces, boshra a mara, yala. they was citizens asking for their rights on yesterday. a catastrophe

happened. audra 0 mark mood underwater has more from baghdad. funeral procession was held for those who were killed and fridays clashes between protest has and security forces at near to bow dad's green zone. now these protest her as who i've been occupying this area for the 3rd week. now the supporters of the previously dominant political parties that lost in the october legislative elections. now, these protest has se they are trying to put pressure on the electoral commission on the government to hold a manual recount of old the votes. now, the electorate commission, on the other hand, says it has conducted at manual recount of about 25 percent of the votes that included the disputed ballot stations. but the results, according to the electoral commission, that is,

it's our identical. there are not any different from the previous results. now, these protested as include many military individuals belonging to the popular mobilization forces, the popular mobilization mobilization forces of the military arms of the political posted that last in the election. but it's interesting because some of them took part in the crack down on the anti government purchase, just back in 2000 lane t. now, these protests say that there was continued protesting here until their demands are met. their accusing the security forces of using live bullets and at gas tear gas canisters against them on friday would abdougla had for inside his tutti, but about the ranks parliamentary elections were held

a year earlier. that happened because in 2019 thousands of mostly young people rallied for political change and an end to corruption. but only 43 percent of voters cast a ballot, the lowest turn out in 18 years. the ok, let's bring in our guests in the northern iraqi, a city of our bill. we have as in most of 5, she's a pro democracy activist in the sample. armitage, rusty, he's a director of the house of iraqi expertise foundation and in london. when at monsoon director of the iraq initiative at chatham house, if a warm welcome to each of you run out, i want to start with you. how do these protest we're seeing now compared to protests we've seen previously? well, i think what we've seen in the last 24 hours or more is protested the greens on not from the same demographics that we saw from october 2019 those, you know, these protests and the last few days yesterday. and today are from people

linked to certain factions that didn't do well in the elections, primarily linked to the alliance that represents the popular mobilization forces. so having lost many seats in the elections going from 48 to around 17, they're protesting the election. the electoral law, the whole process because they didn't do as well. and really what they're trying to say is, this is our power. elections aren't the only tool for government formation. here we are and where, where you can hear us loud and clear. so it's very much part of what happens as the different lead come together to form government. notwithstanding the direct results from the elections and these groups that didn't do as well as they had hoped to say, what is going to happen if these predominantly iran, by groups object to these results don't get what they want. well,

absolutely agreed with renowned in any way that the, the one who lost the elections actually now protesting bought them. i think the most important thing is not the fact that the most important things as the brigades outside the, for the real pro iranian militia. like not allah has balboa a new job and so on, all of them, they're not inside the hush it. so the problem will be, if they don't have a real political background like that, they actually pushed a block like who, who lost in the election. it's supposed to be that her group will win at least 2025 seats. that it will, but those militia, in a way or another, that they will have their own umbrella there on political umbrella, which is different from now what happened yesterday is that even the leaders of the

fed there go there. like i said, has ali, he went there, asking people to just come down, but also it is a very important move. was a very important move to stop the political campaign done that much to the southern that because what motor that did 1st he changed his negotiation team, which it give us a message is that the negotiation team, the previous one or the former one was not eligible? to rush up things, the 2nd thing he leaned actually this negotiation team, this is new negotiation team to, to make a political campaign. why to, to, to start to raising up. or that his idea about getting the biggest, blocked into 170 seats. how's that will happen? he went to see how boise he went to heckman. he went to sealer body and also his

negotiation team. so k d, b nego, in team in baghdad. and what i knew is that he also, or was ready to go to ever be able to see must road cat from a stroke. verizon's, he to speak about making some sort of majority government. now what's happened yesterday, it was very important to stop all these actions. and we also, what's happened actually said mother went out from baghdad, go outside baghdad and went to another which show you that how much are the action that happened yesterday was really important to try to balance things in baghdad. so just to be clear, the actions that we saw yesterday were predominantly in your opinion geared towards stopping a campaign that was being put forward by mocked either asada as opposed to an anti government campaign that we have seen in the past. as the most of our, i want to ask you about the level of turner my was back it, i was in baghdad in 2018. and even at that time, people were on the streets,

protesting about corruption. they were product protesting about the poor infrastructure, which is endemic, of course, in iraq. and yet now we get to these elections and the turn out is so low. why is that? well, run. the reason why they turn out to the so low is that people have no more trust in the government and they have no more trust in the system. and they are clearly said that even if we go on vote, it's the same political parties that when and the problem was not only with the political parties and the systems and the same faith, but also with the new electoral look which made it impossible for independent candidates, or they're hot as smaller political parties to way even though, despite of this electoral law and dependent cap and it's have one. but the problem is, what is going to happen now? is the government formation going to be any different than before?

that's the question. and the people knew that even though in 2019 in october of 2019, they were the ones who demanded for a change. and that's the reason why that happened earlier, but it was still clear for them that no there was going to be no change. that's why they did not both. unfortunately, the turn out was so low lower than it has ever been since the fall. so down in 2003 and this how many problems? because one of the people no longer believe in the process been they have given up on their country really. and this is one of the biggest problems, but we have right now. and let's not forget that the protest that happened on fridays are totally different than the protests that happened 2 years ago. the project which took into account 19 where because people needed their basic,

right? they needed electricity. they need to clean water. they needed john, double put unit cheese and they needed. oh, this is what they were demanding. so we cannot compare those people to the process which happened yesterday on friday because that protest which happened on friday was left by external powers and lived by external people. i mean, let me ask you this. iraq's parliament, if i understand correctly, is designed to have representation from a wide variety of cultural and religious backgrounds and groupings within iraq. we have to remember that iraq has a very disparate array of different cultures, and religious are groupings within it. now, on the face of it, that seems very laudable, but it seems to the very structure of it seems to lead us to what appears to be a perpetual stalemate in iraqi politics with situations that you unrelated were

talking about earlier, where there is horse trading going on there are deals being done, people are trying to get hold of them the, the most important, the most lucrative, if you're like ministries and how much of that is co, is driving the problems that iraq is currently facing. well, i think right now facing 3 main problem was, it's a new political system that established after 2003 number one legitimacy. now legitimacy, it can be given by the people. and we all know that the turn out was very low. show you how much people desperate from this political system. this is the 1st. the 2nd thing is dad, who is getting benefit from their low turnout. it looks like that the solder of block or took the majority $73.00 seats. but at the same time, even the suntrust get only $800000.00 or goats from all of iraq. and if you are

counting the suckers, especially in the southern city, inside by that which is baghdad, 8000000, they have 2000000 in the center city. and the southern city, the one who eligible to vote is about 1w1w and something. so you can imagine even inside the sundress, they also has a lotor are now but well the southern bit is that this is, but just for the 3rd thing is the new, the new low. yes, the southerners get the majority, but also it gives 20 percent for the independence and independent candidates. so it show you that there is it when you a chance. if this lot stay there, there is a chance in the next elections which may be in 11 year. that does not forget if a compromise happen, which i think it will happen between the suntrust and the others. that means it's only for a one year government. then after that there will be demonstration led by the

scientists because they always doing something like that. it's their political behavior, just one year. take your minister ministries, take your money at said finish the government. so i think if this law will stay there, it will push us for a new hope because we already have 20 percent independent candidates. that means or independent mbc. now that mean is in the next governments, maybe this percentage will be higher or not. we are talking about groups of course, which have weapons and have demonstrated in the past that they are prepared to use those weapons. given everything that armand has just said with regard to the this law, how confident do you think you could be that this is not going to spiral into another scene of violence that we have unfortunately seen in the strings at the streets of iraq in the past. i think there's 2 things here to to note. one is the question of whether these groups, all political parties in iraq have arms. it's heavily militarized society,

whether the center is on one side and fed and mileage on the other side will actually come to a confrontation, people in the past of kind of predicted at some point you might have a internal she, our civil war. and i think although we will see tit for tat violence, it's highly unlikely that that will happen right now. what's happening is the fact that, and my like you are trying to remind the subjects that, you know, government being formed is not only on who wins at the ballot boxes. but it's much more than that. and we are here and we have weapons and we have force. and so that gives us a seat at the table. and so because of that, just like in the past, i think this, i just won't have the appetite to go to an all out compensation. which means that that war within the different groups will probably be minimized. even though we will still see tit for tat violence,

but there's another kind of violence that's important, which is the violence that has been suppressing the protest movements and civil society in particular, since 2019 of october that has become solidify the iraqi political system has viewed protests and civil society as the biggest threat. all the parties have come together, notwithstanding their differences inside the state and outside the state to work together to suppress, to repress mobilization of protesting civil society. those independence, this youth generation that increasing every year more and more, are under fear. so if the lessons of 2018 election was that many iraqis didn't think that voting could bring about change. sadly, a lesson we're learning and that we blank last few years is that protests are far more dangerous game that they used to be. for the last few years. you had a systematic campaign of assassinations of any leader who could mobilize

independent protesters. that campaign continues. and it's sanctioned by the state and because of that, a lot of civil society, it's not all live in fear of mobilizing. and that's why we don't see as many protests as you would have in october, 2019. as in how do you mobilize people and energized people to take to the streets and supports of democracy in support if we wanted of political change if they are facing the kinds of threats that ranada says they're facing. well, i absolutely agree with 3, not a problem is the people are very scared. they are scared for their own last big when they're a protest, there are innocent people who are, who are just demanding their basic rights. and they want to live in peace and prosperity, but they are external groups who come and join. and these groups not only kill them at some point,

but they threaten their families even after their intent. and this is the real problem. people are scared, but there are people, there are some others who really want to make a change and they keep on fighting for, for the fact. but it's impossible in a society that is so politicized where there is so much guns and weapon with every political party and where they are external powers, that we don't even know where they can be. and when they can join a protest, because i am sure that when an activist or civil society or normal youth go on the streets, they do not want violence because they are already tired of our people. our youth are tired of the life they are having right now. so when they go on the street, all they want is peace. but they stand all power and the political powers do not want them. not only didn't, but only yesterday, want one of the independent candidates to watch when there was an attempt for

assassination, but you survive. so it's not only for the civil society or the people who want to protect, but also for the independent candidate will have elected themselves and the question and who is behind all of this? and why are we allowing break fees to come rules whereas, and these are all a points we need to focus on. and the thing that we need to make our use believe in voting system again, because even though some people say there is there what brought in the elections with which happened last month the i had the independent tie election commission should come on tv. true. and now the real results they should bring back the hook in people and say that if there was drugs or have been complaints, what the complain, where the complaints, where and to explain all of this because the government and the whole system,

all of that to the society to explain what has been done and how the process was and what should be done in the next. that's what you talk about the and the independent candidate tax here. so you mentioned yesterday we're talking about friday. that's correct, isn't it? yes, yes, we're not. i wonder what i want to ask you because we're referring constantly to these quote, external powers that appear to be taking action within when inside iraq and appear to be doing so with no responsibility, no accountability whatsoever. let me ask you this, 1st of all, can we identify or are you in a position to be able to identify who those external powers are. secondly, if mocked. either outsider is placing himself as a nationalist and he refuses any outside influence. how likely is it, do you think the voters in iraq could actually follow looked either outside or if it meant an end to the external powers interfering in

a rag that i seen was just talking about? so i mean, since 2003, iraq has been to play grounds for external actors. and it was a government brought to the iraq is from abroad, the decisions of how the system would be formed was made abroad. and. and since then, really, iraq is have been at the behest of external powers. initially it was the u. s. occupation. and then increasingly, of course, the most dominant external power has been here on. but of course, let's not forget as well turkey's role in particularly northwestern iraq and it's influence there. so really iraq is in the middle and of these very strong regional powers and the strongest being iran, iran which has strong ties. not just to the sort of, you know, the militias that we often look at, but too many kurdish parties. many so many parties. iran has strong ties into the

iraq. you formal government, outside the formal government. it's by far the strongest external power and it's, you know, it's not perfect then it's not. it makes mistakes and it's not as strong as some would say, but compared to the other regional and external actors. iran is definitely the strongest one. now government formation, since 2003 has been influenced by external actors, iran leading the campaign, but also the americans are involved the gulf. i mean turkey every sort of country in the region and abroad that has an interest in iraq is able because at the end of the day that sort of bottom up power of the iraqi system isn't there. many of the leaders don't have enough. now this leads to your 2nd question on what you know will look the other 2. although he's one he doesn't have enough to on his own form, a majority. which means that he'll have to bring certain parties together. and he has tried, as was said to bring together, for example, the k d p,

and come to the side to drink raina majority. however, he will be for, i think he will have to at the end of the day come to the table. so while his initial ambition is to create a majority, terry and government that excludes the effect there and man rekey and those groups that are seen as closer to iran. i believe at the end of the day it will still be a national consensus government just like it has been every time a government has been formed. and we're beginning to see already that you know, for many months now the negotiations over that. and let me bring you in here because is the structure of government that you think might be possible given everything that we've just talked about, given the situation and iraqi politics at the moment that could actually lead iraq forward out of this perennial hiatus that it seems to be working in and has been for for several years. while rob, what's happened yesterday,

it looks like it will stop the train on the southern. we're now going to make a majority government that looks like a band. they will compromise, they will reach to compromise. and i think the media will be who is actually taking in concern the file of iraq. and maybe the negotiation has started from yesterday night. and the messages now and everyone is looking for a compromise. but how it will be managed as a compromise. does the federal court will go for a manual for many with counting votes, and that's on their own that way. maybe they will be change of seats, but even the change of seats will but it will not that he will not. it will make it a real difference, but eventually changes some seats, number of seats,

it will give a, let's say, a push for a new negotiations between all the shot inside the house to try to unite themselves in a way or another. but let us not forget, i seen the new government if, if it is, will be from what formed a compromise, the prime minister will be also come from. i me, the problem is will not be back. but by those blocks, he will be independent just like me, and i'm at 1st a thank you very much indeed. and thanks to all i guess as we must, as i see and run out months or i'm thank you to for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website all 0 dot com 9 for further discussion. go to our facebook page, that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha. inside story, you can also join the conversation on twitter. handle is a inside story for me or not. and the whole team here to bye for now.

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ah ah, this is all 0. i'm getting obligated with a check on your world headlines. iraq's leaders have condemned what they're calling an assassination attempt on the prime minister as a he nurse, and cowardly attack. arm drones targeted mr. fall, call them his residence in the highly secure a green zone. in the early hours of sunday, a long con reports it's been cold and attempted assassination. an explosion followed by gunfire on prime minister must have alcorda means residence in the most

secure part of europe. the heavily fortified green zone of baghdad. according to the prime minister's office.