Iraq is preparing for elections on November 11. The elections are important because Iraq is still transitioning from an era when it had to confront extremism in the form of ISIS to dealing with the fallout of Iran’s declining role in the region.
Iranian-backed militias play an important role in Iraq, and Shi’ite political parties aligned with the militias will dominate the electoral landscape. A total of 329 seats in parliament are being elected. Iraq also knows all too well that assassinations and bombings can be a threat during periods of political infighting. For that reason, a huge security presence is expected. Iraq is also inviting people to monitor the elections.
According to Al-Ain media, “The spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Major-General Miqdad Miri, announced during a press conference that the ministry has allocated more than 185,000 security personnel to secure polling centers throughout the governorates, including about 10,000 officers.”
'Strict security measures' to be taken for elections
Al-Ain based its information on a document from Iraq revealing a package of “strict security measures taken by the High Security Committee for Elections.” The article notes that Iraq is working to prevent internal and external threats.
“The document stipulates that election day be declared an official holiday in all governorates (except for the Kurdistan Region), while health, service, and security departments will remain operational. All military and security forces from the Defense and Interior Ministries, the Intelligence and National Security Services, and the Popular Mobilization Forces will enter a state of maximum alert (C), and leave will be suspended starting from November 7 until further notice.”
The plan also bans the movement of any vehicle over five tons, as well as motorcycles and some other forms of transport. There is also a ban on the use of drones without the approval of the Joint Operations Command. “All forms of demonstrations and public gatherings are also prohibited from the sixth of this month until further notice.”
In addition, polling stations will be secured against mobile phone use of cameras and also weapons. Miri “confirmed during a press conference that early voting for security forces will take place on November 9, with the participation of more than 1.3 million voters from the security and military services.
He indicated that the ministry will secure 600 polling stations for special voting and 7,000 for general voting, noting that ‘the security situation is stable and no violations have been recorded that could disrupt the electoral process,’” the Al-Ain report noted.
There are 329 seats up for grabs in parliament, and 7,750 people are running for them. In the Kurdistan autonomous region, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani “promised to secure a lasting settlement between Erbil and Baghdad if his party gains greater influence in federal politics, speaking at a campaign rally in Erbil on Saturday,” Rudaw, a Kurdish channel, said.
Meanwhile, “President Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), on Saturday met with religious figures in the Duhok province, campaigning for the upcoming federal election with a focus on long-standing grievances over the Kurdistan Region’s relationship with Baghdad.”
Al-Hassan Qabas, a member of the Independent High Electoral Commission’s (IHEC) media team, told Rudaw that “invitations have been extended to 90 external Arab and foreign entities, including embassies, consulates, and organizations interested in electoral affairs, with the aim of participating in monitoring the upcoming electoral process.”