Green Observatory urges eco-friendly election campaigns in Iraq

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Authorities must compel parliamentary candidates to adopt eco-friendly practices in their election campaigns, Iraq’s Green Observatory pressed on Tuesday.

In a statement, the group warned that campaign materials for the one-month period beginning in October risk damaging public spaces and worsening pollution.

It urged candidates to avoid wall posters, cutting trees or plants to mount banners, and distributing plastic items that are often discarded afterward.

The Observatory also called for strict enforcement of election guidelines set by the electoral commission with local service agencies, and for tough penalties against violators, especially those leveraging ties to powerful political blocs to sidestep regulations.

The call comes after previous elections saw widespread violations, particularly in Baghdad and Nineveh, where candidates encroached on green spaces, left parks littered with posters, and failed to remove banners after the vote—leaving cleanup costs to municipalities.