The spokesperson for the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq, Jumana al-Ghalai, announced that 7,744 people have registered as candidates for the Iraqi parliamentary elections so far.
Jumana al-Ghalai stated that 848 of those who have registered so far have had their candidacy revoked.
Muqtada al-Sadr refused to participate in the elections scheduled for November 11, calling them “incomplete and unfair elections dominated by sectarian, ethnic, and partisan interests,” and called on his supporters to boycott the polls.
This year’s parliamentary elections will be the sixth one since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. The elections will determine 329 members of parliament for a four-year term, and based on these results, a new President (traditionally a Kurd) and a Shia Prime Minister, requiring lengthy negotiations, will be appointed.
In Iraq, with a population of around 46 million, more than 21.4 million voters will elect from over 7,700 candidates, a third of whom are women.
According to the law, at least 25% of the seats in parliament are reserved for women, while nine seats are allocated for minorities.
The election also covers the Kurdistan Regional Government. The historical rivalry between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) continues to play a decisive role.