Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) on Wednesday disqualified a parliamentary candidate for falsifying academic documents.

According to official records, the IHEC Board of Commissioners barred Abdullah al-Khafaji—running under the National Al-Hadbaa Alliance in Nineveh, a coalition of six parties affiliated with the Shiite-led Coordination Framework—from the November 11 elections after confirming he had forged his school certificate.

Read more: Disqualified candidates: Iraq's electoral body under fire

The board also rejected several unrelated complaints filed against other candidates.

Last week, IHEC spokesperson Hassan al-Zayer reported that 786 candidates had already been disqualified, with the number expected to surpass 1,000 as screenings continue ahead of the vote.

Read more: Defamation, exclusion stoke pre-vote tensions