Shafaq News/ As Iraq prepares for its 2025 parliamentary elections,political factions are locked in a dispute over proposed electoral amendments,with deep divisions in Parliament threatening to stall reforms. While someblocs push for stricter regulations to safeguard the vote, others resistchanges, raising concerns over the system’s vulnerability to politicalinfluence.
Honest or Rigged?
Iraq’s electoral process has long been marred by controversy. While theIndependent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) maintains that elections are freeand fair, opposition voices and international observers frequently raiseconcerns over fraud, vote-buying, and political pressure, casting doubt on thelegitimacy of results.
Power Reigns, Money Talks, Democracy Chokes
Wealth plays a decisive role in Iraq’s elections, with parties spendinglarge sums to sway voters. Electoral monitors report widespread vote-buying,particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. In 2018, an IHEC-backed studyfound that candidates offered between $50 and $500 per vote, while in ruralareas, incentives such as food baskets, household appliances, and prepaid phonecards were common.
This trend persisted in 2021. An Al-Bayan Center investigation estimatedthat over $250 million was spent on vote-buying and campaign financing. Reportsfrom Baghdad indicated voters were offered between $100 and $300 for theirvoter cards, which were then used for fraudulent ballots. Some were eveninstructed to photograph their completed ballots to verify compliance beforereceiving payment.
Despite these tactics, electoral outcomes have remained unpredictable,sparking disputes over alleged tampering.
The 2021 elections were particularly contentious, with accusations ofelectronic voting system manipulation. The Patriotic Shiite Movement (formerlythe Sadrist Movement), secured 73 seats, while the Iran-aligned Al-FatahAlliance saw its representation plummet from 48 seats in 2018 to just 17.
Al-Fatah leader Hadi al-Amiri rejected the results, declaring, “We willnot accept these fabricated results, whatever the cost.”
Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali also condemned the elections as“the worst in Iraq’s modern history.”
In 2022, al-Sadr ordered his 73-seat parliamentary bloc to resign fromparliament. He also decided to withdraw from the political process to avoidinvolvement with "corrupt" politicians.
The Shiite leader, who enjoys widespread support among Iraqis, said hewould not participate in the next elections if "the corrupt" takepart.
Beyond direct vote-buying, political factions have leveraged stateinstitutions for electoral gain. In 2021, parties used state-owned media forbiased coverage, distributed government aid in exchange for votes, and appointedpublic-sector employees based on political loyalty.
The Ministry of Electricity issued at least 25,000 temporary employmentcontracts before the election, many of which were terminated afterward.Additionally, over 70,000 government job contracts were awarded in the monthsleading up to the vote, raising concerns that employment opportunities wereexchanged for political support.
Public land allocation has also been exploited. In 2021, thousands ofland plots were distributed to tribal leaders and influential figures inexchange for electoral backing.
A parliamentary investigation estimated over 15,000 land grants wereissued before the vote, primarily benefiting individuals with strong politicalties.
Political analyst Aqil al-Fatlawi cautioned, “Without reforms, electionscould produce unfair results that fail to reflect the will of the people. Somefigures use financial and political influence to dominate the electorallandscape, and we must address this imbalance.’’
“This creates an unfair playing field, disadvantaging those without suchresources. We want to ensure a level of competition,” he added.
Intimidation Wins Seats
Financial influence is not the only concern. In regions such as Diyala,Kirkuk, and Nineveh, armed groups linked to political factions have threatenedcandidates and disrupted opposition campaigns. Human Rights Watch documentedincidents in 2018 where campaign materials were destroyed, party officesattacked, and candidates pressured to withdraw.
The 2021 elections followed a similar pattern, with independentcandidates facing significant risks. The assassination of activist andpolitical candidate Ehab al-Wazni in Karbala was widely seen as politicallymotivated, deterring others from challenging established power structures. Reportsalso emerged of polling station interference, with power outages disruptingvote counting and polling officials pressured to manipulate results.
Even IHEC, the body responsible for overseeing elections, has facedrepeated accusations of political infiltration. After fraud allegations in2018, a manual ballot recount revealed significant discrepancies, with nearly12% of ballot boxes in Baghdad showing irregularities. The 2021 elections facedsimilar scrutiny, with observers noting delays in announcing results andunauthorized access to election data centers by party-affiliated officials.These irregularities led to mass protests as losing candidates questioned thelegitimacy of the vote.
A Push for Fairer Elections
To enhance electoral integrity, IHEC has introduced reforms, includingbiometric voter registration with fingerprint and facial recognition to preventduplicate registrations and fraudulent voting.
By 2023, over 80% of eligible voters had registered biometrically,compared to 64% before the 2021 elections. IHEC spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalibemphasized, “Biometric registration has closed many loopholes previouslyexploited by political actors. While no system is perfect, we havesignificantly reduced the chances of voter fraud.”
However, election watchdogs warn that biometric registration alonecannot eliminate external coercion. Observer Ali al-Tamimi pointed out,“Party-affiliated groups collect voter cards ahead of elections, promisingfinancial incentives in exchange for loyalty. Biometric systems ensure votersare real, but they don’t eliminate external pressure.”
To improve vote counting, Iraq has enhanced electronic tallying withreal-time tracking, encrypted data transmission, and monitoring mechanisms.IHEC’s 2024 report noted a 35% reduction in vote-counting disputes compared to2018.
Iraq has also expanded international election observation. In 2021, theUnited Nations deployed 150 observers across key regions. While the UNacknowledged procedural improvements, concerns over political intimidation andfinancial influence persisted. IHEC now aims to increase internationaloversight to at least 300 monitors for 2025.
Yet, analysts warn of limitations. Political expert Haidar al-Kindiargued that while monitors document violations, “they have no enforcementpower. Fraud often occurs outside polling stations through intimidation andvote buying, which are difficult to detect in real-time.”
Voting System Overhaul
As Iraq approaches the 2025 parliamentary elections, the debate overpotential changes to the voting system continues to intensify. One proposalsuggests an 80/20 or 90/10 model, where 10% or 20% of seats would be directlyelected, while the remaining seats would be allocated using the Sainte-Laguëproportional representation method.
This change aims to reduce the advantage of wealthy candidates anddominant political factions. Electoral reform advocate Aqil al-Fatlawiemphasized, "A politically influential figure can use their wealth to fundextensive campaigns, organize events, and dominate media coverage. Our goal isto ensure fair competition for all candidates."
However, not everyone supports this shift. Saad al-Mutairi argued thatthe real issue lies not with the electoral system itself but with weakenforcement. "Changing the method of seat allocation will not preventfraud. The real problem is the lack of accountability for those who use illegalmeans to secure votes," he stated.
Another proposal involves redrawing electoral districts. Iraq’stransition to a multi-district system in 2021 divided the country into 83districts, replacing the previous province-wide model. Critics argue thatwealthy candidates still dominate by using their resources across multipledistricts. A new plan suggests dividing each province into two districts, withBaghdad receiving four. This would encourage more localized electoralcompetition.
Election analyst Layth al-Khafaji pointed out the disparities incampaign financing, "In provinces like Basra and Nineveh, some candidatesreceive millions of dollars from powerful parties or external backers, whileindependents struggle to fund basic campaign activities. Redrawing districtscould level the playing field by making elections more localized."
Despite these proposals, no formal amendments to the electoral law havebeen made. Election expert Saad al-Rawi noted that, while discussions onreforms have been ongoing since 2023, political disagreements have preventedany real progress.
Similarly, Ibrahim al-Anbaki, a member of the parliamentary legalcommittee, confirmed that there is "no real intention" to amend thelaw shortly. He explained that discussions within the legal committee or theState Administration Coalition have not taken place, adding, "The majorityopinion favors keeping the current law unchanged."
Political analyst Abdullah Shalash Al-Kinani criticized the currentsystem, suggesting that dissolving parliament could be a beneficial move due toits inefficiency. He pointed out that many lawmakers are more preoccupied withpersonal and financial concerns than fulfilling their legislativeresponsibilities.
Al-Kinani emphasized the importance of judicial oversight in anyreforms, urging the inclusion of legal experts and academics to guaranteefairness. "Reform must be guided by expertise to ensure it serves thepeople's best interests," he added.