In Iraq, electricity is a potent symbol of endemic corruption, rooted in the country’s sectarian power-sharing system that allows political elites to use patronage networks to consolidate power. The Associated Press spoke to a dozen former and current ministry officials and company contractors. Contractors said intimidation is standard operating procedure in the Electricity Ministry. A bastion of the Sadrist Movement, Al-Sadr’s portrait hangs in almost every home. The parties that came before the Sadrist Movement are to blame, he says, adding that he will vote for a Sadrist candidate.
