Iraq’s electoral body disqualifies hundreds over Ba’ath ties, criminal records

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s electoral commission announced on Sunday that nearly 300 parliament candidates have been disqualified from the upcoming November legislative elections, state media reported, citing ties to the banned Ba'ath party and criminal records.

According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said 290 candidates were disqualified for reasons ranging from “inclusion in Accountability and Justice procedures to criminal restrictions” and issues related to “conduct and behavior.”

Enacted in 2008, the Accountability and Justice Act governs the process of de-Ba’athification, defined as “intellectually, administratively, politically, culturally and economically dismantling the Ba’ath party system in Iraqi society, state institutions, and civil society institutions."

Parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place on November 11 in Iraq. According to IHEC, over 850 candidates have registered to run.

The commission on Saturday reported that over 400 candidates for the upcoming parliamentary vote had been summoned for alleged affiliations to the outlawed Ba’ath party, with decisions regarding their candidacy still pending.

The Ba’ath party had ruled Iraq from 1968 until 2003, following the US-led invasion that ousted longtime Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

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.