ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s parliamentary election campaigning will officially begin on Friday, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced on Wednesday.
IHEC spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalai told Rudaw that campaigning will open on October 3 for 7,800 approved candidates.
Iraq’s parliamentary elections are scheduled for November 11, with a special vote on November 10. The 329-seat parliament includes 320 general seats and nine minority quota seats.
Out of 8,500 candidates who initially applied, nearly 800 were disqualified by the commission, according to Ghalai. Of the total, 74 had been reinstated by Friday after their appeals were approved. A total of 370 of the disqualified candidates were barred from running due to alleged ties to the Baath Party, which ruled the country from 1968 until 2003, when the US-led invasion ousted the longtime dictator
On Friday, IHEC said alleged violations, such as early campaigning or defamation, are investigated through its cybersecurity unit or referred to the Iraqi National Security Service (INSS).
This came after Saja al-Bayati, a member of the Tafawuq Alliance, was barred from running after a member of parliament submitted video and photo evidence alleging she violated the code of conduct. Last week, she claimed that AI was used to produce the evidence used against her.
Based on the final results of the 2024 general population and housing census released in February, the population of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, stands at 46.1 million. Of this, approximately 27 million are eligible voters aged 19 and above. However, only those who possess biometric voting cards will be allowed to vote.