Iraqis vote in tense national elections marked by youth participation, Sadr’s boycott, and deep frustration over corruption and poor governance.
Voting began across Iraq on Tuesday as millions of citizens cast their ballots in the nation’s sixth parliamentary elections since 2003, a critical yet uncertain test for a country still scarred by years of conflict, corruption, and political gridlock.
The Independent High Electoral Commission reported that over 21 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, with more than 20 million registered across 8,703 polling centers and 39,285 stations nationwide. Over 7,700 candidates, including 2,248 women—and a striking 40% under age 40—are competing for 329 parliamentary seats, underscoring growing calls for generational change.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, leading the Reconstruction and Development Alliance, seeks a second term. His Shiite-led coalition is projected to win the most seats but fall short of a majority, setting the stage for lengthy post-election negotiations among Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish blocs.
Security remains tight, with the army, Interior Ministry, Peshmerga, and Popular Mobilization Forces jointly safeguarding polling stations. Roads were sealed in key cities, and military aircraft are ferrying election materials across the provinces.
President Abdul Latif Rashid urged citizens to vote as a “national duty,” calling the elections essential to “correcting past governance failures.” Yet skepticism runs deep: after a record-low 41% turnout in 2021, analysts predict even fewer voters this year, citing anger over unemployment, corruption, and power shortages.
A major factor shaping the race is the boycott by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s movement, once Iraq’s most influential Shiite bloc. Though absent from the ballot, Sadr retains sway through political appointees and has ordered his followers to stay home.
In the Kurdish region, rivalry between Masoud Barzani’s KDP and Bafel Talabani’s PUK remains fierce, with disputes over oil revenues and federal ties to Baghdad taking center stage. Meanwhile, Sunni representation is led by Mohammed al-Halbousi’s Taqaddum party, campaigning on rebuilding state institutions and restoring Sunni empowerment.
Despite a record number of candidates and over 400 political parties, observers expect limited change to Iraq’s entrenched sectarian and patronage-based power structure. Final results are expected in days — but forming a government could take months, as Iraq once again faces the familiar challenge of forging unity from division.
