Error occured during this request! Please try again later.
Iraq
A tuk tuk drives past electoral billboards in Baghdad's Tahrir Square on October 4, 2021. Photo: Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s parliament will dissolve itself on October 7, a day before special voting and two days before the public vote, without holding a special session, according to the deputy speaker.
There is “no need to hold a session to dissolve the parliament,” deputy speaker Bashir Haddad told state media on Wednesday.
Over 170 MPs voted for the dissolution of the parliament on March 31, a formality ahead of an election. “The decision will come into force tomorrow [October 7],” Haddad said.
Iraq will elect a new parliament on Sunday, though security forces will vote on Friday.
There are over 3,200 candidates competing for 329 seats in the parliament. Nine seats are reserved for minorities and there are 67 candidates vying for these spots. At least 25 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, but turnout is expected to be low because of fears of fraud and disillusionment with the political system.
The election is happening ahead of schedule after 2019 protests brought down the government. Demonstrators condemned government corruption and failure to provide basic services. Phrases like “We want a country” are frequently heard during the protests.
The United Nations will have a team of more than 800 people in Iraq to monitor and assist the national election commission for the elections. The European Union also has an 80-member strong monitoring team and the League of Arab States will also have experts on the ground. The massive international presence was requested by Baghdad, part of its attempts to address multiple security concerns and allay fears of fraud, vote-buying, and voter intimidation.
There is “no need to hold a session to dissolve the parliament,” deputy speaker Bashir Haddad told state media on Wednesday.
Over 170 MPs voted for the dissolution of the parliament on March 31, a formality ahead of an election. “The decision will come into force tomorrow [October 7],” Haddad said.
Iraq will elect a new parliament on Sunday, though security forces will vote on Friday.
There are over 3,200 candidates competing for 329 seats in the parliament. Nine seats are reserved for minorities and there are 67 candidates vying for these spots. At least 25 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, but turnout is expected to be low because of fears of fraud and disillusionment with the political system.
The election is happening ahead of schedule after 2019 protests brought down the government. Demonstrators condemned government corruption and failure to provide basic services. Phrases like “We want a country” are frequently heard during the protests.
The United Nations will have a team of more than 800 people in Iraq to monitor and assist the national election commission for the elections. The European Union also has an 80-member strong monitoring team and the League of Arab States will also have experts on the ground. The massive international presence was requested by Baghdad, part of its attempts to address multiple security concerns and allay fears of fraud, vote-buying, and voter intimidation.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment