Iraq’s general elections pushed to October

Jan 22, 2021

Early elections are arriving late to Baghdad, as Iraq’s Cabinet voted on Tuesday to postpone the general election from June 6 to Oct. 10. 

The decision was issued after a proposal submitted by Iraq’s Electoral Commission to the Council of Ministers earlier this week to resolve “technical” needs to ensure a transparent electoral process, according to the office of Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Without providing details on what those issues are, the statement read that resolving the issues “would ensure the integrity of the elections and equal opportunities for everyone to run in the elections freely and fairly.”

But time is running out for activists who are growing disillusioned about Iraq’s electoral process and frustrated that the government’s stalling is an attempt to ignore their demands. 

Last July, Kadhimi set the ambitious goal of June 6, 2021, as the date for the general election, almost a year ahead of schedule. 

The decision was seen by observers as a move to appease a key demand of anti-government protesters. Large demonstrations across the country erupted in October 2019 and appealed for, among other issues, fairer elections and changes to Iraq’s voting process and elections committee. Activists cited widespread fraud in the 2018 nationwide vote and some Iraqis now say they have little faith in Iraq’s electoral system.