Protesters flock to al-Haboubi, block entrances to protest the modified Sainte-Lague

Shafaq News/ tensions soared in Dhi Qar's al-Haboubi as protesters gathered and pitched tents in reaction to the Iraqi parliament's adoption of a controversial election law.

A correspondent from Shafaq News Agency reported that demonstrators in Al-Habboubi set up tents and sealed off all district entrances with concrete barriers, expressing their discontent with the parliamentary decision to endorse the new election law earlier that day.

During a tumultuous session that began in the pre-dawn hours, the Iraqi Parliament completed the voting process for the third amendment to the 2018 Election Law No. 12, which pertains to the election of the Council of Representatives as well as provincial and district councils. The Parliament approved the 1.7 electoral quotient within the Sainte-Laguë system as part of the election law amendment, a decision that has provoked spirited debates among activists and independent lawmakers. Critics argue that the law has been carefully designed to accommodate the influential powers in the country, effectively reinstating the single-district system.

Last week, lawmakers approved seven of the 15 proposed articles, including one determining that the upcoming Council of Representatives will maintain the current composition of 329 seats. Moreover, the Parliament supported holding provincial council elections on November 6, 2023.