Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Iraq There are still a few weeks left for the parliamentary elections which will decide the direction of the country during this period. middle eastThe most tender moment in years.
Although the ceasefire in Gaza has eased regional tensions, fears remain of another round of conflict between Israel and neighboring Iraq. iranIraq managed to stay on the sidelines during the brief Israel–Iran war in June.
During this time, Baghdad Iraq is facing increasing pressure from Washington over the presence of armed groups linked to Iran.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani came to power in 2022 with the support of a group of pro-Iran parties, but has since sought to balance Iraq’s relations with Tehran and Washington.
The November 11 vote will decide whether he gets a second term – rare for Iraqi prime ministers in the past.
who is missing from the election
A total of 7,768 candidates – 2,248 women and 5,520 men – are competing for 329 Parliament seats.
The strongest political factions include former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, cleric Ammar al-Hakim, and several Shia factions linked to armed groups; competing Sunni factions led by former parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and current speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadan i; and the two main Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
The contest is equally notable for who is absent.
Popular Sadrist movement led by influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-SadrIs boycotting. Al-Sadr’s faction won the largest number of seats in the 2021 elections, but later withdrew after talks on forming a government failed, and he remains out of the elections.
In a suburb known as Sadr City on the outskirts of Baghdad, a street banner read, “We are all boycotting on the orders of leader al-Sadr. No to America, no to Israel, no to corruption.”
A smaller group, the Victory Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also announced a boycott, alleging corruption in the process.
Meanwhile, some reformist groups that emerged from the massive anti-government protests that began in October 2019 are participating, but are bogged down by internal divisions and a lack of funding and political support.
Vote buying and political violence
There have been widespread allegations of corruption and vote buying. Political analyst Bassem al-Qazwini described these elections as “the most exploited since 2003 in terms of political money and state resources”.
A campaign official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was talking about alleged illegal conduct, insisted that almost all candidates, including the major bloc, are handing out money and buying voter cards, with the price of one card going up to 300,000 Iraqi dinars (about $200).
The Independent High Electoral Commission said in a statement to The Associated Press, stressing its commitment to conducting a fair and transparent process, that “strict measures have been taken to monitor campaign spending and curb vote-buying.”
It added that any candidate found guilty of violating laws or buying votes would be “immediately disqualified.”
The election campaign has been affected by political violence.
On 15 October, Baghdad Provincial Council member Safa al-Mashhadani, a Sunni candidate in the al-Tarmiya district, north of the capital, was assassinated by a car bomb. The first investigation court said on Thursday that two people had been arrested on suspicion of murder. It did not name the suspects but said the crime was believed to be “related to electoral competition.”
Aisha Ghazal al-Masri, a member of Parliament for the Sovereignty Coalition related to al-Mashhadani, described the killing as “a cowardly crime reminiscent of the dark days of assassinations”, referring to the years of security vacuum that followed the ouster of Iraq’s former autocratic leader, Saddam Hussein, in the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
role of militia
Political parties associated with Iran-backed militias are taking advantage of their significant military and financial influence.
These include the Harakat Huqoq (Rights Movement) bloc along with the Kata’ib Hezbollah militia and the Sadiqoun bloc led by Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia.
The Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of militias formed to fight the Islamic State group, was formally placed under the control of the Iraqi Army in 2016, but in practice it still operates with significant autonomy.
Al-Sudaini recently told journalists that armed groups that have transformed into political entities have a constitutional right to participate in elections.
“If a group gives up arms, we cannot stop them from joining politics. This is a step in the right direction,” he said.
However, many militias affiliated with political parties participating in the elections are still active and armed.
The US State Department said in a statement that Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with al-Sudani on Monday and “highlighted the urgency to disarm Iran-backed militias that undermine Iraq’s sovereignty, threaten the lives and businesses of Americans and Iraqis, and steal Iraqi resources for Iran.”
Al-Sudani wants another term
Al-Sudani has established himself as a pragmatist focused on improving public services. Polling shows that Iraqis are relatively positive about the situation in the country.
Al-Mustaqela Research Group, affiliated with the Gallup International Association, found that over the past two years, for the first time since 2004, more than half of Iraqis surveyed believe the country is headed in the right direction.
In the latest survey, at the beginning of 2025, 55% of Iraqis surveyed said they trusted the central government.
However, only one Iraqi prime minister since 2003, Maliki, has served more than one term.
Ihsan al-Shammari, a professor of strategic and international studies at Baghdad University, said the premiership “does not depend only on election results but on political faction agreements and regional and international understandings” to form a government.
He said disagreements over control of state institutions between al-Sudaini and some leaders of the Shia Coordination Framework bloc, which brought him to power, “could hinder his prospects for a second term.”
Some Iraqis said they did not have high expectations for the country, regardless of the election outcome.
Baghdad resident Saif Ali said he had no plans to vote, pointing to the lag in public services.
Referring to regular power cuts, he said, “What happened in terms of electricity from 2003 till now? Nothing.” “What about water? The drought has reached Baghdad. These are basic services, and they are not available, so what is the point of elections?”