Watchdog: Iraq elections see rise in divisive rhetoric

Shafaq News/ Sectarian and ethnic rhetoric is escalating ahead of Iraq’s 11 November parliamentary elections, the Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights (IOHR) cautioned on Sunday, accusing political factions and media outlets of fueling division instead of promoting meaningful policy debate.

In a statement, the IOHR highlighted a surge in identity-based messaging—sectarian, ethnic, and regional—circulating through campaigns and social media. It criticized candidates and their influencers for prioritizing identity politics over qualifications, public service, or reform agendas.

Inflammatory language, once limited to the political fringe, now dominates mainstream discourse, according to the IOHR’s Asber Center for Information Auditors. “Social media platforms have become key battlegrounds for this divisive discourse,” the center reported, pointing to orchestrated disinformation campaigns—often run through fake accounts—that target specific communities with misleading, provocative content.

The observatory condemned political speeches for amplifying exclusionary rhetoric, particularly against Kurds, minorities, and regional groups, noting that collective trauma and historic grievances are being weaponized to manipulate sentiment and drive identity-based voting.

“New candidates who sidestep programmatic engagement, [are] instead marketing themselves as guardians of ‘the component,’ ‘the region,’ or ‘a persecuted history,’” the report warned, calling this trend one of the most dangerous developments in Iraq’s political environment.

The IOHR also faulted the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) and the Communications and Media Commission for “failing” to regulate campaign content or curb hate speech, urging swift action to enforce stricter guidelines that protect social unity and uphold electoral integrity.