Iran: We did not help Maliki or PUK in Iraqi elections

MESOP : TRUTH OR NOT TRUTH – THAT’S THE QUESTION NOW!

02.06.2014 – BasNews, Iran – Iran’s Consulate General in Erbil has rejected rumors claiming that Tehran had a role in the alleged rigging of the Iraqi parliamentary election results.

In an interview with Turkish agency Anadolu, Iran’s consul general to Erbil, Seyid Azim Hosseini spoke of Iran’s role in the Iraqi elections and dismissed claims that Iran was responsible for the increase in votes for the Patriotic union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.  – “Those talks are far from the truth, they are lies,” said Hosseini.

Following elections on April 30, Iraqi and Kurdish political parties accused Tehran of helping Maliki obtain majority votes as well as increasing the PUK’s votes in the Kurdistan Region. Iran has traditionally been close to both Maliki and the PUK, for this reason a number of Iraqi and Kurdish parties have accused Tehran of aiding them in the elections. Regarding visa requirement for Iraqi citizens who wish to travel to Iraq, Hosseini explained that they are still waiting for a response from Baghdad. “Iran is willing to remove the visa requirement, however the Iraqi Government is not responding to the request,” said Hosseini.