4 days ago
Iraq: Candidate disqualifications for elections could reach 400
Shafaq News — Baghdad
The number of excluded parliamentary candidates, including those barred under Iraq's de-Baathification process, could reach 400, lawmaker Raed al-Maliki said on Wednesday.
Speaking to Shafaq News, al-Maliki attributed the surge to the first-time enforcement of Article 7(3) of the amended 2018 Election Law — which prohibits those convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude, financial or administrative corruption, or reputational damage, even if pardoned — and to a stricter application of Accountability and Justice Commission measures after years of 'relative lenience.'
So far, more than 150 candidates have been disqualified. The Commission removed 55 candidates in Nineveh and 10 in Dhi Qar, while additional lists from Baghdad and Diyala include dozens more.
The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) continues to receive disqualification lists from verification bodies, which form the basis for its rulings.
