IHEC requalifies independent MP for November vote
Shafaq News - Baghdad
Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) on Sunday reinstated independent lawmaker Hussein Arab in the November 11 parliamentary elections, after he was recently disqualified over a false academic certificate.
Arab had been scheduled to run under Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Alliance (Al-Ima’ar wal Tanmiya), which quickly distanced itself following the commission’s ruling, noting that Arab “does not belong to the alliance.”
On Saturday, he formally asked IHEC to disqualify Prime Minister Al-Sudani from the election, citing “exploitation of state resources.”
Since nominations opened, IHEC has removed more than 750 candidates. Some were disqualified under Iraq’s Accountability and Justice Law, while others faced bans over criminal convictions or other legal issues. However, dozens of previously barred contenders have been reinstated following appeals and reviews.
