Basra: Hezbollah Party reacts to last-minute poll ban

Malik Ali Falih, the Deputy Secretary General and Basra representative of the party, condemned the ban, "We had no intention of taking part in general elections. Iraq’s electoral committee had approved our standing in local elections. Our place on the electoral lists was already determined. However, they took us off the electoral lists which were delivered to voters. They removed us from the list at the last-minute. The government had a role in it. We do not now why they took us off the list. We are Hezbollah and they will see what we will do to get revenge? We will use our right for retribution against Iraqi government and electoral committee. We are right to do that."

The Hezbollah Party is supported by mostly Shiite population and is a legal political party in contrast to their namesakes in Iran and Lebanon.