Shafaq News – Baghdad (Updated on September 8 at 18:07)

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) on Monday disqualified Yazan Mashaan al-Jubouri from the upcoming November 11 parliamentary elections for the second time.

The IHEC board upheld a recommendation from the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee, citing violations of the “good conduct” clause.

A source told Shafaq News that the decision against al-Jubouri, son of politician Mashaan al-Jubouri, was linked to a leaked audio case.

Al-Jubouri, who serves as Secretary-General of the Homeland (al-Watan) Party, has faced growing scrutiny since an arrest warrant was issued against him in November 2024 following the release of a recording in which he was allegedly heard discussing financial commissions and corruption deals. He denied the accusations, saying the tape was fabricated by political rivals and expressed willingness to undergo investigation and voiceprint analysis.

The candidate was previously excluded on August 20 after an old arrest warrant surfaced during data verification. At that time, the commission granted him 72 hours to prove the warrant invalid. The matter was later resolved by the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Interior, allowing him to temporarily return to the race.

Separately, IHEC reinstated seven other candidates previously disqualified, confirming they were not subject to any action by the Accountability and Justice Commission.

Iraq’s Accountability and Justice Commission announced on Monday that it had completed a full review of nearly 8,000 parliamentary candidates, determining that 335 were subject to its legal procedures.