Unpaid election monitors stage protests in Iraq’s Basra

Shafaq News – Basra

Protests over unpaid monitor dues continued in Basra on Sunday, as several candidates allegedly refused to pay the 100,000 dinars ($70.75) promised for election-day work.

Sit-ins continue outside candidate offices, many of which have been closed, while security forces remain deployed to prevent escalation.

One monitor, Haider Imad, told Shafaq News that candidates pushed monitors to vote for them in exchange for payment, then claimed they had no funds after losing. Monitor Ammar Ahmed also said dozens have gathered outside campaign offices to demand their dues, noting that some candidates registered monitors under civil society groups, issued receipts, and even required oaths before abandoning the agreements.

A source at Basra’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) office said the province accredited more than 100,000 monitors for 571 candidates, stressing that the Commission is not involved in any financial arrangements and prohibits using monitor status for employment or electoral conditions. Still, IHEC is reviewing complaints and will act “within the electoral system’s rules.”

Iraq held special and general voting on November 9 and 11 for 329 seats, with turnout at 56.11 percent. Basra recorded a turnout of 51.3 percent, according to the Commission, which has finished counting remaining ballots and is preparing to announce the final results.

Read more: Iraq’s post-election roadmap: From ballot to government formation