State of Law: Election integrity at risk as corrupt figures run in Iraq
Shafaq News – Baghdad
“Corrupt individuals” are among the candidates running in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, State of Law Coalition member Zuhair al-Jalabi warned on Saturday, calling it a dangerous sign for the country’s political future.
Al-Jalabi told Shafaq News that some new contenders were “corrupt before entering politics,” warning that their participation reflects a deeper deterioration in electoral integrity. He cited the growing influence of political money, foreign interference, and sectarian manipulation as major threats to the will of voters.
“The State of Law Coalition — led by Nouri al-Maliki — will contest the November 11 elections independently, with alliances to be formed after results are announced to determine the next president, parliament speaker, and prime minister,” he said.
Al-Jalabi revealed that “al-Maliki will personally run in this election, reversing his decision to sit out the last race.” He attributed the change to “current chaos” in the political scene, driven by “vote trading and the unchecked flow of money into campaigns — factors” he warned could reshape the parliamentary landscape.
Earlier today, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) held a draw to assign numbers to political entities and candidates. The process covered 31 coalitions, 38 parties, and 76 independents, including 53 minority quota candidates.
Campaigning will run from October 8 until 24 hours before special voting. Around 30 million Iraqis are eligible to vote out of a population of 46 million.
