The Secretary-General of the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq movement, Qais al-Khazali, said he has high hopes for conscious popular and public participation in the ongoing parliamentary elections, and that Iraqis "deserve the best."

In a press statement after casting his vote, al-Khazali mentioned that these elections are held in "exceptional circumstances," noting that it's still early to determine the shape of the next government.

Al-Khazali emphasized that the next prime minister should be "a figure with an economic and developmental vision to offer services and reconstruction."

Addressing Iraqis, the Secretary-General said that there are circulating rumors that aim to weaken and mislead popular participation in the elections.

He also pointed out that there is no confidence in results coming from outside Iraq.

For his part, Jaafar al-Husseini, military spokesperson for the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, stressed that elections day is a chance for Iraqis to decide their fate by choosing their representatives, calling on them to be steadfast as they did in the face of terrorism.

In an interview with Al Mayadeen, al-Husseini said he is confident that Iraqis will dismiss obstacles that prevent them from voting to guarantee their rights.

He also urged voters not to be discouraged by technological malfunctions at polling stations," and to "be patient and not leave the polling stations until officials attend to the malfunctions."

On Sunday morning, Iraqis headed towards polling stations to cast their votes, as the country is running its fifth parliamentary elections process since 2005.