Iraqi security personnel and displaced families cast early ballots ahead of elections
Assalamu alaikum - Members of Iraq’s security forces and many internally displaced families took part in early voting on Sunday ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Polling began at 0400 GMT for armed forces personnel, who make up about 1.3 million of the more than 21 million eligible voters and would be on duty providing security on election day, according to state news sources. Over 26,500 displaced people were also eligible to vote early. The November 11 elections will be the sixth since the 2003 invasion that removed Saddam Hussein. More than 7,740 candidates are contesting the 329-seat parliament, with nearly a third of them women. An older electoral law revived by parliament in 2023 will be used, and many believe it advantages larger parties. While roughly 70 independents won seats in 2021, only 75 independents are running this time. Observers worry turnout could fall below the record low of about 41% in 2021, reflecting voter fatigue and mistrust in a country struggling with entrenched leadership, mismanagement, and corruption. Influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr has called on his supporters to boycott what he called a “flawed election.” Since the invasion, Iraq’s Shiite majority has held much of the political power. Prominent Shiite figures such as former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and cleric Ammar al-Hakim, along with several pro-Iran armed groups, are expected to be important players. Current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who was chosen in 2022 with backing from pro-Iranian parties, is seeking a second term and is likely to lead a substantial bloc. By convention in post-invasion Iraq, the prime minister is a Shiite Muslim, the parliament speaker is a Sunni, and the presidency - largely ceremonial - goes to a Kurd. The next prime minister will be selected by the coalition able to build the largest parliamentary bloc through negotiations.
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