Rights group warns of forced voting ahead of Iraq's elections
Shafaq News – Al-Sulaymaniyah
Some companies are pressuring employees to vote for specific candidates ahead of Iraq’s November 11 parliamentary elections, a Kurdish human rights organization warned on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference, Helsho Fattah, the head of Dabin Organization for Democracy and Human Rights, reported that several private firms have forced workers to hand over voter cards or support designated political lists — actions it described as “clear violations of Iraqi law and workers’ rights.”
Fattah urged authorities to act, stressing that “free and secret voting is a constitutional right that cannot be restricted under any circumstance.” He cited Article 5 of the Iraqi Constitution, which affirms that “the people are the source of authority,” and noted that coercion in voting violates both domestic and international human rights principles.
The warning comes amid growing concerns over electoral integrity nationwide. According to the Shams election monitoring network, 309 legal violations have been recorded across Iraq since campaigning began on October 3. These include vote-buying, misuse of state institutions, tearing down posters, spreading hate speech, and exploiting religion for political purposes.
The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) confirmed that more than 800 candidates have been disqualified for legal or procedural reasons since the beginning of the electoral campaigns, including links to banned groups or falsified credentials.
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