Ballot boxes close in Iraq’s parliamentary elections
According to reports, polling stations shut their doors at 6 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) as scheduled, with no extensions granted, in accordance with the timetable set by the Iraqi electoral commission. Preliminary results are expected within 24 hours, while final confirmation will follow the review of any submitted appeals.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani hailed the smooth conduct of the vote, emphasizing his government’s success in organizing the national polls. “Once again, our great Iraqi people…have taken a remarkable step forward toward greater stability and progress,” al-Sudani wrote on social media. He described the elections as a consolidation of a “democratic system that embodies (the Iraqi people’s) free constitutional will and their determination to continue building the state and consolidating its institutions.”
He further noted that by holding the elections, “the government has fulfilled one of the most significant commitments outlined in its executive program.”
Official figures show that 7,743 candidates, including 2,247 women, competed for seats in the new parliament. More than 20 million Iraqis were eligible to vote in Tuesday’s polls.
The current parliamentary term, which began on January 9, 2022, runs for four years. Under Iraqi law, elections must be held at least 45 days before the end of each legislative session.
In Iraq’s political system, power is traditionally distributed among the country’s main groups: the presidency is reserved for the Kurds, the premiership for the Shia community, and the parliamentary speakership for the Sunnis. Shia blocs currently hold the majority in parliament.
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