
IHEC: +28 million Iraqis eligible to vote in elections
Shafaq News/ More than 28 million Iraqis (+60.7%) are eligible to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for October 2025, Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced on Sunday.
According to IHEC statistics, the number of eligible voters has increased, with Baghdad's Rusafa district having the highest count, followed by Karkh, Maysan, Nineveh, Anbar, and Dhi Qar.
Earlier, the commission revealed that nearly one million Iraqis born in 2007 have now reached the legal voting age of 18. It also reaffirmed that, under Iraq's amended Election Law No. 12 of 2018, parliamentary elections must be scheduled at least 45 days before the end of the current legislative term.
In comparison, the number of eligible voters for the 2021 elections stood at 25,139,375, while the 2018 elections saw 24,352,253 eligible participants.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Shafaq News
3 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange delayed
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, the largest prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine collapsed, with both sides trading accusations over the sudden delay. Russia blamed Ukraine for postponing the exchange at the last minute, claiming it had already begun a large-scale humanitarian operation to repatriate the remains of more than 6,000 Ukrainian servicemen. Lieutenant General Aleksandr Zorin, a member of Russia's negotiation team, revealed that the exchange was arranged under an "everyone-for-everyone" formula, covering wounded and seriously ill prisoners as well as those under the age of 25, adding that Moscow had provided Kyiv with a list of 640 prisoners for return and was prepared to proceed 'in accordance with agreements reached in Istanbul on June 2.' The Russian Defense Ministry also released footage on Telegram showing sealed body bags inside refrigerated trucks, which officials said contained the remains of Ukrainian soldiers. However, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War rejected Moscow's version of events, saying no date had been agreed for the handover of bodies and that the processes of prisoner exchange and repatriation were separate. The collapse of the planned prisoner exchange came amid a surge in Russian aerial attacks across Ukraine, including a massive overnight bombardment that killed at least six people and wounded over 60.


Shafaq News
3 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Iranian President: We're open to nuclear inspection
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed Tehran's readiness to permit nuclear inspections while rejecting any form of external coercion, according to a statement from his office. Meeting in Tehran with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu, Pezeshkian said Iran's nuclear program is transparent and has been repeatedly verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 'We are open to inspections,' he stated. 'But no nation has the right to impose its will on Iran or undermine its sovereign decision-making.' His remarks come amid ongoing indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, mediated by Oman. Negotiations resumed in April but have seen limited progress. Nurtleu, delivering a letter from Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, voiced support for Iran's stance on peaceful nuclear development and expressed interest in advancing bilateral ties. During the visit, both countries signed a memorandum of understanding on diplomatic archive cooperation and discussed regional developments with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Iran maintains that its nuclear activities comply with international law and denies pursuing nuclear weapons. However, the IAEA has raised concerns over Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and lack of transparency, citing unresolved safeguards issues. The United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Tehran, which Iranian officials describe as unjustified, and with direct negotiations stalled, Tehran insists that inspections must be tied to 'mutual respect' and non-interference in its internal affairs.


Shafaq News
5 hours ago
- Shafaq News
From ally to enemy: Trump-Musk feud escalates
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, US President Donald Trump warned that tech billionaire Elon Musk would face "very serious consequences" if he finances Democratic candidates running against Republicans who supported the GOP's budget bill. In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump dismissed any possibility of mending ties with Musk after a public feud between the two men escalated this week. Tensions intensified earlier in the week when Musk criticized the GOP-led spending package, which had passed the House in May. Despite the clash, Trump expressed confidence that the legislation, dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Republican-led spending and tax package) would pass the Senate before July 4. 'The Republican Party has never been united like this before. It's actually more so than it was three days ago,' he confirmed, adding that Musk's criticism may have inadvertently boosted support for the bill. Trump also rejected calls from allies—among them conservative activist Steve Bannon—to investigate Musk's business dealings or immigration record. Earlier, Musk described the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' as a 'disgusting abomination,' warning it would raise the federal deficit by $2.5 trillion over the next decade. Trump responded by calling him 'a man who has lost his mind' and hinted at selling or donating his Tesla vehicle, which he had purchased as a symbol of support for the SpaceX CEO. Since the start of 2025, Tesla has lost approximately $380 billion in market value, dropping from $1.3 trillion in early January to $950.6 billion as of June 6—a decline of 29.3 percent, the worst performance among major global companies this year. The sharpest loss came after Trump publicly threatened to cut government contracts with Musk's firms, triggering a 14 percent drop in Tesla shares, erasing $152 billion in value. Musk's personal fortune also fell by an estimated $34 billion during that session, though he remains the world's richest person with a net worth of around $334.5 billion. The tech billionaire was a major donor to Trump's 2024 campaign, reportedly contributing over $250 million to support swing-state efforts. At the start of his term, Trump appointed Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency, where Musk implemented mass layoffs and shut down several federal agencies.