Iraqis on Tuesday began casting votes for a 329-seat new parliament at a critical time for the country and the broader region, in an election that both the US and Iran will be closely monitoring.
Iraq has been calm and stable over the past few years, as the nation tries to overcome the decades of war and repression under the late president Saddam Hussein. Yet, Iraq continues to grapple with endemic poverty, deteriorating infrastructure, failing public services, and rampant corruption.
While the majority of the 45 million population has lost hope that the ongoing elections can bring meaningful changes, a minute population, though, expressed strong faith in the election process.
Polling stations opened at 7:00 am local time (0400 GMT) and closes at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT), with preliminary results expected within 24 hours of closing. Just minutes after the polls opened, several mainstream politicians cast their vote at the luxurious Rasheed hotel in the capital, Baghdad.
Despite the scepticism, more than 7,740 candidates—nearly a third of them women—are running for the 329-seat parliament.
According to the country’s electorate database, more than 21 million voters are eligible to vote, but there are fears that turnout could drop to below the 41 per cent registered in 2021. Iraq, since its invasion in 2003, has been a proxy ground between the US-Israel vs Iran and Russia. The increase of Shia influence in the country has been a sign of great worry for the Sunni majority neighbourhood.
Even as its influence wanes, Iran hopes to preserve its power in Iraq—the only close ally that stayed out of Israel’s crosshairs after the heavy losses its other allies have incurred in Lebanon, Yemen and Gaza since 2023.
Early last year, pro-Iran factions listed as terrorist groups by Washington yielded to internal and US pressure and stopped targeting American forces in Iraq after months of attacks over the Gaza war.
Also Read: US Senate approves bill to end longest Govt shutdown in history
Follow us
