Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has dismissed a complaint against Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and imposed new fines on several political groups for breaching election rules.

Documents obtained by Shafaq News show that the IHEC Board of Commissioners rejected five complaints, including one filed by lawmaker Amer Abdul-Jabbar against al-Sudani, citing lack of jurisdiction. The same decision imposed fines of two million Iraqi dinars (about $1,500) on several blocs for campaign violations.

Al-Sudani is running for a parliamentary seat in Baghdad under his al-Furatain Movement and leads the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, a new alliance of several political forces, including al-Furatain, the Bilad Sumer Gathering led by Labor Minister Ahmed al-Asadi, and the National Coalition of former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. His decision to run followed a period of friction with factions within the Shiite Coordination Framework and legal disputes that had cast doubt on his participation, while assessments of his coalition’s strength and cohesion remain contested.

Read more: Baghdad: Ground zero in the battle for Iraq's Parliament

Campaigning began on October 3, with the Shams Network for Monitoring Elections already reporting 301 violations. More than 6,300 observers are expected to oversee the process when polls open on November 11, as over 21.4 million Iraqis — including more than three million in the Kurdistan Region — are eligible to vote nationwide.

Read more: Elections on schedule, legitimacy in doubt: Iraq heads toward November vote