Baghdad: Polls opened across Iraq on Tuesday for parliamentary elections that are drawing little enthusiasm from voters despite the high geopolitical stakes surrounding the outcome.
Voting began at 7 a.m. local time in what is Iraq’s sixth parliamentary election since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. While the country enjoys a period of relative stability, many Iraqis remain deeply sceptical that another election will bring meaningful change to their lives.
For much of the population, the vote has become a contest benefiting entrenched political elites and regional powers rather than ordinary citizens. Nearly 21 million Iraqis are eligible to vote across more than 4,500 polling stations, according to the Iraqi News Agency.
More than 7,700 candidates are competing for 329 seats in the national parliament, including a significant share of women candidates, around one-third of the total. The law reserves 25 percent of seats for women and nine for religious minorities. However, only 75 independents are running, a reflection of an electoral system widely seen as favouring established parties.
Observers warn that turnout could fall below the record low of 41 percent recorded in 2021, underscoring public frustration over corruption, economic stagnation, and a political class that has failed to deliver basic services. Polls are scheduled to close at 6 p.m., with preliminary results expected within 24 hours.
By convention, Iraq’s power-sharing arrangement ensures that a Shia Muslim serves as prime minister, a Sunni heads parliament, and a Kurd occupies the largely ceremonial presidency. Yet despite calls for renewal, few new names have emerged in this election.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who came to power in 2022 with the backing of pro-Iran factions, is expected to secure a strong bloc as he seeks a second term. Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and cleric Ammar al-Hakim are also prominent contenders. Sunni parties, meanwhile, are running separately, with former parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi expected to perform well.
The ballot is notable for the absence of influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has urged his followers to boycott what he calls a flawed process. Al-Sadr’s bloc won the most seats in 2021 but later withdrew from parliament after a dispute with rival Shia groups that formed a larger coalition.
The outcome of the vote will be closely watched in both Tehran and Washington. Prime Minister al-Sudani has tried to maintain a delicate balance between Iraq’s two most influential partners, Iran and the United States.
For Iran, Iraq remains a crucial ally and a rare regional partner untouched by Israeli strikes during the ongoing war in Gaza. The United States continues to exert considerable influence, maintaining military forces across the country.
