Peregraf
Iraqi opposition leader Muqtada al-Sadr has announced his decision to abstain from participating in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, attributing his stance to the persistent issues of corruption and political dysfunction in Iraq.
“Let it be known that I will not engage in the upcoming elections as long as corruption prevails, with no regard for anything other than sectarian, ethnic, and party interests, while being detached from the people's concerns and the calamities affecting the region,” Sadr commented in a recently published letter from mid-February 2025 when asked about the Shiite National Movement’s involvement in the electoral process.
Sadr's announcement introduces additional uncertainty into Iraq's political environment as the nation gears up for its sixth parliamentary elections. Although the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has yet to announce an official election date, it has stressed that the elections must occur before the end of November 2025.
In preparation for the elections, IHEC initiated the renewal of biometric voter registration on March 25, 2025, a process that will extend until April 25, 2025. IHEC spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalai informed Peregraf that this renewal aims to resolve issues such as missing voter cards, fingerprint recognition inaccuracies, and the registration of new voters.
Legal requirements stipulate that elections must be conducted at least 45 days prior to the conclusion of the current parliamentary term, which commenced on January 9, 2022, and is set to end on January 9, 2026. The final election date will be established by the Prime Minister’s Office in collaboration with IHEC.
To promote electoral stability, Iraq’s Parliament extended IHEC’s mandate during a session on January 13, 2025, granting the commission authority until January 6, 2027. This extension, backed by a parliamentary majority, seeks to enhance IHEC’s capacity to manage the elections amid the shifting political landscape in Iraq.
The Iraqi parliamentary elections that took place on October 10, 2021, were conducted ahead of schedule due to public calls for political reform. With Sadr's decision to boycott, the forthcoming elections encounter further obstacles as Iraq undergoes another significant shift in its governance.