Iraq's CF presses for election safeguards

Shafaq News

3 days ago

Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Tuesday, Iraq's Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) urged the country's leadership to adopt guarantees aimed at securing the integrity of the upcoming parliamentary elections, set for November 11.
In an official statement, the bloc—a key political force backing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani—called on the president, al-Sudani, parliament speaker, and chief justice to swiftly approve the framework.
While the statement did not specify the proposed safeguards, similar reform demands in recent years have prioritized stricter ballot oversight, biometric voter verification, and the independence of Iraq's High Electoral Commission (IHEC). Other measures typically included tougher penalties for vote buying, transparency in campaign financing, and greater engagement from civil society and international monitors.
The November vote will be Iraq's first national election since the disputed 2021 polls, which saw low turnout and widespread allegations of irregularities.
According to the IHEC, over 7,900 candidates are competing for 329 parliamentary seats. More than 29 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, following months of work to update voter rolls and biometric data—marking one of the largest electorates in the country's history.
However, early campaigning has revived fears of sectarian polarization, with analysts and civil society organizations warning that without meaningful safeguards, inflammatory rhetoric could aggravate political divides and weaken the legitimacy of the outcome.