Justice Commission: +200 candidates were disqualified from the October 10 election

Shafaq News/ More than 200 candidates were stripped from their candidacy to the October 10 election, spokesperson to the Commission Haidar al-Uqayli revealed on Thursday.

Al-Uqayli told Shafaq News Agency that 230 candidates vying for seats in the upcoming parliamentary lineup met the Commission's exclusion criteria, and they were consequently excluded.

"The disqualified candidates filed appeals at the Court of Cassation, which prompted the Commission to reinstate them. However, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) challenged the Court's decision and they were excluded against," he said.

The October 10 parliamentary election, the fifth in the war-scarred country since the US-led invasion and overthrow of ruler Saddam Hussein in 2003, was marked by a record low turnout of 41 percent.

The results showed the Sadrist movement maintaining the most seats in parliament, leading in several of Iraq's 18 provinces, including the capital Baghdad.

Al-Sadr, a controversial leader remembered for leading an insurgency against U.S. forces after the 2003 invasion, appeared to have increased his movement's seats in the 329-member parliament from 54 in 2018 to 73.

None of the competing political blocs appeared on track to win a majority in parliament and consequently name a prime minister. But as the results stand, al-Sadr's bloc will be able to take a leading role in the political horse-trading to find a compromise candidate and set the political agenda for the next four years.

The State of Low Coalition, led by the former Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki, secured 37 seats, fours seat behind al-Taqaddom (Progress) bloc led by the Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halboosi.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by the Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani has won 32 seats; twice more than Iran's favorite al-Fatah Alliance, which toll of seats diminished to 14 only from 48 in the 2018 elections.