Al-Maliki warns of "vote buying" ahead of potential early elections in Iraq

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, raised concerns about vote buying if early parliamentary elections are held in Iraq.

Addressing the public in a televised speech, al-Maliki said, "Elections are the foundation upon which the political process relies, and they are both a right and a duty for the people…The nation is responsible for managing its affairs, and elections are the means and mechanism through which the nation exercises its role and selects those who deserve to represent them."

Al-Maliki stated, "Therefore, elections should reveal the will of the people, as wisdom dictates that through this process, those who represent the people should emerge." He cautioned that if the process becomes "one of buying and selling seats (Paying money for electors to elect someone) as witnessed in previous elections, and if the influence of money and the manipulation of media prevail, it will undoubtedly yield unsatisfactory results."

Concerning amending the Personal Status Law, Al-Maliki described it as "not a matter of competing opinions and preferences but a legal and constitutional issue that should be discussed with calm and wisdom to ensure it does not contradict religious obligations. Any mistakes in this matter could create a volatile situation within society."