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Iraq
An Iraqi woman updates her voter registration at the Independent High Electoral Commission Center in Nasiriyah on January 12, 2021. Photo: Asaad Niazi/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Holding elections in June may not be realistic, according to the spokesperson for Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). Only a fraction of eligible voters have updated their electoral records and most of the political entities have not registered yet, Jumana Alghalai told Rudaw English on Friday, a day ahead of a registration deadline.
“Twenty-five political alliances were registered in IHEC records in 2018, but only two of them have registered again for 2021 and updated their data in IHEC records, although the deadline for registering political alliances is tomorrow, Saturday,” Alghalai said.
“The commission has issued registration licenses for 230 parties, but only a few of them have registered and updated their records, despite the fact that the deadline is soon,” she added.
Most voters, too, have not updated their records. “We have 25 million citizens eligible to vote this year. While 14 million of them have their biometric ID, only 105,390 have updated their electoral records,” Alghalai said. “Therefore, it might be unrealistic to hold elections in June without political alliances, parties, or voters.”
Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced last July that parliamentary elections would take place on June 6, 2021, a year earlier than scheduled. He was reacting to a call from protesters who staged months of demonstrations in central and southern Iraq, beginning in October 2019, demanding basic services and an end to corruption.
Registration for political parties and alliances will end on January 16 and parties have until January 28 to submit their candidate lists, the commission announced on January 6.
The electoral commission, after a meeting on Thursday with the president, prime minister, and parliament speaker, as well as the head of the United Nations mission in Iraq, said it would be ready this summer, but added “more time” is needed.
“IHEC is ready to hold early parliamentary elections within the specified date next June or any other time, no later than next September, to give more time for political entities, candidates and all voters to register and participate in the elections,” read a statement from the commission.
A statement from President Barham Salih’s office after the Thursday meeting said the participants in the meeting expressed their support for the IHEC and called for the parliament to pass relevant legislation and dissolve the parliament in the run-up to the vote, a prerequisite for holding elections.
Early elections have wide support among the political parties. All parties in the parliament agree that early elections should be held this year, Sabah Talubi, a member of the Sairoon Alliance – the parliament’s biggest political bloc, led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr – told state media on January 8.
The electoral commission said last August it would be ready for June elections provided the government and parliament meet certain demands, including passing a new electoral law and allocating a budget for the vote.
President Salih in November officially signed electoral reforms into law, dividing provinces into smaller voting constituencies.
“Twenty-five political alliances were registered in IHEC records in 2018, but only two of them have registered again for 2021 and updated their data in IHEC records, although the deadline for registering political alliances is tomorrow, Saturday,” Alghalai said.
“The commission has issued registration licenses for 230 parties, but only a few of them have registered and updated their records, despite the fact that the deadline is soon,” she added.
Most voters, too, have not updated their records. “We have 25 million citizens eligible to vote this year. While 14 million of them have their biometric ID, only 105,390 have updated their electoral records,” Alghalai said. “Therefore, it might be unrealistic to hold elections in June without political alliances, parties, or voters.”
Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced last July that parliamentary elections would take place on June 6, 2021, a year earlier than scheduled. He was reacting to a call from protesters who staged months of demonstrations in central and southern Iraq, beginning in October 2019, demanding basic services and an end to corruption.
Registration for political parties and alliances will end on January 16 and parties have until January 28 to submit their candidate lists, the commission announced on January 6.
The electoral commission, after a meeting on Thursday with the president, prime minister, and parliament speaker, as well as the head of the United Nations mission in Iraq, said it would be ready this summer, but added “more time” is needed.
“IHEC is ready to hold early parliamentary elections within the specified date next June or any other time, no later than next September, to give more time for political entities, candidates and all voters to register and participate in the elections,” read a statement from the commission.
A statement from President Barham Salih’s office after the Thursday meeting said the participants in the meeting expressed their support for the IHEC and called for the parliament to pass relevant legislation and dissolve the parliament in the run-up to the vote, a prerequisite for holding elections.
Early elections have wide support among the political parties. All parties in the parliament agree that early elections should be held this year, Sabah Talubi, a member of the Sairoon Alliance – the parliament’s biggest political bloc, led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr – told state media on January 8.
The electoral commission said last August it would be ready for June elections provided the government and parliament meet certain demands, including passing a new electoral law and allocating a budget for the vote.
President Salih in November officially signed electoral reforms into law, dividing provinces into smaller voting constituencies.
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