Shafaq News – Baghdad (Updated at 15:57)

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has barred 253 candidates from contesting the November 11 parliamentary elections, citing violations of the Electoral Law.

According to an official document, the disqualified candidates failed to meet requirements under Article 7/3 of the 2018 Parliamentary Elections Law, which demands nominees show “good conduct” and prohibits those with convictions for felonies, corruption offences, or crimes involving moral turpitude, even if later pardoned.

Commission member Hassan Hadi al-Zayer told Shafaq News that the exclusions—most of them affecting male candidates—also stemmed from breaches of eligibility rules, including failure to meet the required 20 percent quota for high school graduates or the 25 percent quota for women on electoral lists. He stressed that IHEC functions as an executive body, with those barred retaining the right to appeal to the Electoral Judicial Panel (EJP) within three days.

The disqualifications form part of IHEC’s ongoing candidate vetting. Earlier this year, 65 contenders were removed under the same legal provision, alongside others barred for criminal records or previous ties to the outlawed Baath Party. Today, the Commission added 12 more candidates to the list, including Abbas al-Amiri, Secretary-General of the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF).

Member of Parliament Raed al-Maliki estimated that, including candidates affected by de-Baathification measures, the total number of disqualifications could approach 400.

IHEC is moving ahead with preparations for the vote, with 31 political alliances, 38 parties, and 79 independents registered to run. About 29 million Iraqis are eligible to cast their ballots.