2021 Iraqi parliamentary election

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2021 Iraqi parliamentary election
Iraq
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All 329 seats in the Council of Representatives
165 seats needed for a majority
Turnout43.30% Decrease 1.22pp
Party Leader % Seats +/–
Sadrist Movement Muqtada al-Sadr 10.00 73 +19
Progress Party Mohamed al-Halbousi 7.20 37 New
State of Law Nouri al-Maliki 5.67 33 +8
KDP Masoud Barzani 8.83 31 +6
Fatah Hadi al-Amiri 5.23 17 -31
Kurdistani Coalition Bafel Talabani 4.16 17 -1
Khamis al-Khanjar 4.76 14 New
Emtidad Alaa al-Rikabi 3.38 9 New
NGM Shaswar Abdulwahid 2.64 9 +5
Jaafar Aziz 1.13 6 New
Sarah al-Salihi 1.73 5 New
ANSF Haider al-Abadi 4.06 4 -38
Falih al-Fayyadh 3.79 4 New
Babylon Movement Rayan al-Kildani 0.57 4 +2
Ahmed M. al-Jubouri 0.66 3 New
Thabit al-Abbasi 0.30 3 New
Ammar Tu'ma 1.22 1 New
Hassan Muanes 1.12 1 New
Abdulhussein Abtan 0.83 1 New
KJG Ali Bapir 0.72 1 New
Ahmed A. al-Jubouri 0.56 1 -1
Iraqi Turkmen Front Arshad al-Salihi 0.55 1 -2
Jamal al-Dhari 0.51 1 New
Mohamed al-Sudani 0.45 1 New
Ghadanfar al-Batikh 0.41 1 New
Mohamed al-Mayahi 0.35 1 New
Rakan al-Jubouri 0.30 1 -2
Iskander Witwit 0.17 1 New
Mohamed al-Wazzan 0.17 1 New
Mashaan al-Jubouri 0.14 1 New
Zahra al-Salman 0.09 1 New
Falih al-Hereshawi 0.07 1 New
YMRP Amin Jejo 0.05 1 0
Independents 19.05 43
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Prime Minister before Prime Minister after
P20210726AS-1424 (51441321814) (cropped).jpg Mustafa Al-Kadhimi
Independent
TBD

Parliamentary elections were held in Iraq on 10 October 2021.[1] The elections decide the 329 members of the Council of Representatives who will in turn elect the Iraqi president and confirm the prime minister. 25 million voters are eligible to take part in Iraq's fifth parliamentary election since the 2003 US-led invasion and the first since the 2019 Iraqi October Revolution[2] The election result led to the 2021 Baghdad clashes.

Background[]

The elections were scheduled for June 2021, but were delayed as the Independent High Electoral Commission asked for more time to organize "free and fair elections", which the cabinet of Iraq approved on 19 January 2021.[3]

Electoral system[]

The electoral system was changed following the last parliamentary elections amid the 2019–2021 Iraqi protests. Previously conducted under proportional representation calculated using the Webster/Sainte-Laguë method with the governorates as constituencies, the 2021 elections will be conducted under single non-transferable vote in 83 multi-member constituencies.[4][a] One-quarter of total seats are reserved for women in the constituencies, while nine are reserved for minorities (5 for Christians and 1 each for Yazidis, Shabaks, Sabian Mandaeans and Feyli Kurds).[5][6]

Boycotts and controversy[]

On 15 July 2021, Muqtada al-Sadr announced the Sadrist Movement intended to boycott the October 10th election, citing corruption and voter fraud and claiming that free and fair elections were impossible in the wake of the ongoing political crisis.[7] On 24 July, the Iraqi Communist Party (which ran with the Sadrist Movement as the Alliance Towards Reforms in 2018), announced they were boycotting the elections, stating "In the absence of conditions for free and fair elections, participation in them would only mean collusion in reproducing the same corrupt political system that is responsible for the catastrophic state of affairs in the country."[8] Louis Raphaël I Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, also called on Christians to boycott the election.[9]

The boycotts have been condemned by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, as well as by other Iraqi political parties and leaders, including former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, leader of the State of Law Coalition, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party.[10]

On 27 August, al-Sadr reversed his decision to boycott and announced his party would take part in the election.[11]

On 9 October, Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party announced that they would withdraw their candidates from the elections in Dohuk, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah governorates (10 constituencies) and declared their support for the Kurdistan Democratic Party.[12]

Early voting[]

Soldiers, prisoners and displaced people voted early on 8 October.[13]

Voter turnout by province[]

Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission initially published a national voter turnout of 42.15%, with 8,818,210 voters out of an electorate of 20,919,844.[14] The Commission later updated these results to show a slightly lower turnout of 41.05%, based on 9,077,779 voters out of 22,116,368 eligible.[15]

Province Turnout
Anbar 43%
Babil 46%
BaghdadAl-Rusafa 31%
BaghdadKarkh 34%
Basra 40%
Duhok 54%
Dhi Qar 42%
Diyala 46%
Erbil 46%
Karbala 44%
Kirkuk 44%
Maysan 43%
Muthanna 44%
Najaf 41%
Nineveh 42%
Al-Qadisiyyah 42%
Saladin 48%
Sulaymaniyah (incl. Halabja) 37%
Wasit 44%
Turnout 41.05%

Results[]

The polls were held on 10 October. On 27 December, the Iraqi Supreme Court ratified the parliamentary election results after rejecting a complaint of irregularities filed by the pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi former paramilitary alliance.[16][17] The High Electoral Commission announced partial preliminary results on 11 October. The Sadrist political bloc received the most seats after the initial count, with 73.[18] The political Fatah (Conquest) Alliance, the political arm of the pro-Iran Hashed, won 17 seats, down from the 48 it had won in the prior election. Hashed leaders rejected the results, alleging "fraud" in the elections. They took their case to court seeking "to have the results annulled" because of "serious violations".[19] On 12 October, the commission announced a manual count of polling stations that were not electronically counted in the initial canvass.[20] Of the total 57,944 polling stations, 45,716 uploaded electronic results. 8,547 stations were selected by lottery to be manually counted, while the remaining 3,681 stations experienced technical difficulties necessitating a manual count as well.[21] This manual count is expected to modify the overall allocation of seats.

On 15 October, the commission noted it had received 356 complaints about the preliminary election count by the 14 October deadline. The complaints division must address the complaints within seven days, which may then be reviewed by the judiciary within ten days. Final results will not be released until the complaints are resolved.[22]

Late on 16 October, the commission announced its updated preliminary results after completion of manual recounts.[23] The updated results triggered another opportunity to file election complaints with a deadline of 19 October. The commission had received over 1,000 complaints by 18 October, but a spokesperson stated it was unlikely the appeals will change the outcome.[24]

Official final results, after recounting by The High Electoral Commission were shared on November 30.[25]

The Kurdistan Democratic Party, which ran independently rather than as part of a multi-party coalition list, won an updated preliminary total of 33 seats, making it Iraq's single largest political party.[23][26]

The Alliance Towards Reforms won 73 seats, with the Progress Party winning 37, the State of Law Coalition winning 34, the Kurdistan Democratic Party with 32, the Fatah Alliance winning 17 seats, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan gaining 16 seats, the Azem Alliance with 12 seats, while the Emtidad Movement and the New Generation Movement received nine seats each, and political independents gained 40 seats.[27]

As for the seats reserved for minorities, the Babylon Movement won 4 seats out of 5 reserved for Christians, while 1 seat was gained by an independent candidate. The Yazidi single seat was won by the Yazidi Movement for Reform and Progress. Likewise, one seat each reserved for the Yezidi and Shabak communities were won by Nayef Khalaf Sido of the Yezidi Progress Party, and independent candidate Waad Mahmoud Ahmed respectively.[28]

Iraq2021ParliamentElection.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Sadrist Movement885,31010.0073+19
Kurdistan Democratic Party781,6708.8331+6
Progress Party637,1987.2037New
State of Law Coalition502,1885.6733+8
Fatah Alliance462,8005.2317–31
Azem Alliance421,5794.7614New
Kurdistani Coalition368,2264.1617–1
Alliance of Nation State Forces359,8764.064–38
Emtidad Movement299,3033.389New
National Contract Alliance235,7262.664New
New Generation Movement233,8342.649+5
Tasmim Alliance153,6141.735New
National Approach Alliance107,6001.221New
Ishraq Kanoon100,3741.136New
Rights Movement99,5031.121New
Eqtadar Watan Party73,2100.831New
Kurdistan Justice Group64,0250.721New
Our People are Our Identity58,0890.663New
Babylon Movement50,3780.574+2
National Party of the Masses49,4430.561–1
Iraqi Turkmen Front48,4220.551–2
Iraqi National Project45,1970.511New
Al Furatain Party39,5000.451New
National Product Party35,8910.411New
Wasit Independents Bloc30,9180.351New
Decisive Reform Movement26,9730.303New
Arab Coalition of Kirkuk26,4140.301–2
Loyalty and Change Bloc15,2410.171New
National Hopes Bloc15,1400.171New
The Nation's Party12,2660.141New
Biladi National Movement8,3840.091New
National Support Bloc6,5150.071New
Yazidi Progress Party3,9880.0510
Other parties908,43810.260
Independents1,686,79219.0543
Total8,854,025100.003290
Registered voters/turnout22,116,368
Source: Full IHEC data

By governorate[]

Baghdad Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Sadrist Movement314,74821.4427+10
State of Law Coalition166,12511.3113+4
Al Takadum Movement131,9608.9911
Azem Alliance116,4087.937
Fatah Alliance72,9874.973—7
Rights Movement35,0292.391
Ishraq Kanoon20,2811.381
Al Furatain Party14,0410.961
Alliance of Nation State Forces64,8154.410—8
Other parties349,73023.82
Independents182,12612.405
Total1,468,250100.0069
Registered voters/turnout5,793,60525.3%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Anbar Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Al Takadum Movement201,43946.1610
Azem Alliance77,09717.671
National Contract Alliance18,4834.240
National Will Party13,6323.120
Other parties34,1557.83
Independents91,58720.994
Total436,393100.0015
Registered voters/turnout1,091,64440.0%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Babil Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
State of Law Coalition35,5976.783+1
Sadrist Movement59,58911.342−2
Fatah Alliance43,5228.292−2
Emtidad Movement39,3387.492
Ishraq Kanoon22,1594.222
Loyalty and Change Bloc15,2412.901
Al Takadum Movement10,5602.011
Alliance of Nation State Forces48,4849.230−3
Other parties97,64618.59
Independents153,15829.164
Total525,294100.0017
Registered voters/turnout1,281,86041.0%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Basrah Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Sadrist Movement78,65712.339+4
Tasmim Alliance108,04416.945
Fatah Alliance45,1897.083−3
State of Law Coalition41,5946.521−3
National Contract Alliance39,7596.231
Alliance of Nation State Forces36,1045.661−4
National Approach Alliance28,6394.491
National Support Alliance6,5151.021
Biladi National Movement4,8660.761
Other parties130,56620.47
Independents117,88718.482
Total637,820100.0025
Registered voters/turnout1,887,23133.8%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Dhi Qar Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Sadrist Movement75,64515.389+3
Emtidad Movement152,76131.055
State of Law Coalition42,5728.654+1
Fatah Alliance28,6495.820−5
Alliance of Nation State Forces22,7274.620−3
Other parties98,97020.12
Independents70,67214.361
Total491,996100.0019
Registered voters/turnout1,312,27537.5%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Diyala Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Azem Alliance94,92619.754
Al Takadum Movement68,26814.204
Fatah Alliance72,68515.1230
Kurdistani Coalition21,7224.5210
Alliance of Nation State Forces27,3935.700–1
State of Law Coalition23,3674.8600
Other parties88,37618.38
Independents83,96517.472
Total480,702100.0014
Registered voters/turnout1,074,44244.7%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Dohuk Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Kurdistan Democratic Party261,54361.368–2
Kurdistani Coalition25,0405.871+1
Babylon Movement13,6303.201+1
New Generation Movement19,2924.530
Other parties18,5614.35
Independents88,19120.692+2
Total426,257100.00120
Registered voters/turnout822,70351.8%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Erbil Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Kurdistan Democratic Party261,51855.9810+2
New Generation Movement78,76516.863+1
Kurdistani Coalition69,95814.9720
Other parties40,4328.65
Independents16,5143.531
Total467,187100.0016
Registered voters/turnout1,238,37937.7%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Karbala Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Sadrist Movement51,00517.354+1
State of Law Coalition34,26711.6620
Ishraq Kanoon27,3599.312
Alliance of Nation State Forces16,6395.661−1
National Hopes Movement12,5894.281
National Product Party1,7300.591
Fatah Alliance21,5327.320−3
Other parties101,84234.65
Independents26,9949.180
Total293,957100.0011
Registered voters/turnout770,83838.1%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Kirkuk Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Kurdistani Coalition63,37115.412–4
Kurdistan Democratic Party49,63112.072+2
Iraqi Turkmen Front45,75311.131–2
Al Takadum Movement42,29010.291
Arab Coalition of Kirkuk26,4146.421–2
New Generation Movement25,4096.181+1
National Contract Alliance10,2552.491
Fatah Alliance7,7311.881+1
Other parties35,7338.69
Independents104,56025.432
Total411,147100.0012
Registered voters/turnout1,011,92840.6%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Maysan Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Sadrist Movement105,27538.767+2
State of Law Coalition32,63912.022+1
Fatah Alliance27,66710.190−2
Alliance of Nation State Forces18,6806.880−1
Other parties33,02312.16
Independents54,31220.001
Total271,596100.0010
Registered voters/turnout763,14035.6%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Muthanna Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
State of Law Coalition31,69115.793+2
Sadrist Movement17,6658.8020
Alliance of Nation State Forces28,38914.1410
Fatah Alliance6,6813.330−2
Other parties71,55335.64
Independents44,77022.301
Total200,749100.007
Registered voters/turnout527,55538.1%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Najaf Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Sadrist Movement68,14020.165+1
State of Law Coalition29,1708.632+1
Emtidad Movement30,4949.021
Alliance of Nation State Forces28,6898.490−3
Fatah Alliance21,6126.390−3
Other parties78,93723.35
Independents80,97023.954
Total338,012100.0012
Registered voters/turnout946,85335.7%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Nineveh Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Kurdistan Democratic Party136,99017.129+3
Al Takadum Movement123,08015.398
Decisive Reform Movement26,9733.373
National Contract Alliance54,7306.842
Kurdistani Coalition30,5383.822+1
Azem Alliance58,8317.351
National Party of the Masses33,8374.231−1
Fatah Alliance33,7344.221−2
Iraqi National Project10,5461.321
Alliance of Nation State Forces18,9502.370−7
Other parties84,11010.51
Independents187,67223.463
Total799,991100.0031
Registered voters/turnout2,330,63234.3%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Al Qadisiyyah Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Sadrist Movement33,40610.7530
State of Law Coalition31,51510.152+1
Fatah Alliance29,1939.402−1
Ishraq Kanoon16,8805.431
Emtidad Movement15,7265.061
Eqtadar Watan Party12,6844.081
Alliance of Nation State Forces23,0837.430−2
Other parties90,72829.21
Independents57,42718.491
Total310,642100.0011
Registered voters/turnout815,73738.1%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Saladin Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Our People are Our Identity58,08913.623
Al Takadum Movement56,86313.332
Azem Alliance71,28416.711
Fatah Alliance33,9567.961−1
Kurdistani Coalition12,3342.891+1
The Nation's Party12,2662.881
State of Law Coalition12,9903.050
Alliance of Nation State Forces3,1260.730−2
Other parties74,05017.36
Independents91,61621.483
Total426,574100.0012
Registered voters/turnout957,29144.6%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Sulaymaniyah Governorate[]

These results include Halabja Governorate.

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Kurdistani Coalition141,66036.0880
New Generation Movement106,31827.085+3
Kurdistan Democratic Party54,89113.982+1
Kurdistan Justice Group44,63911.371
Other parties5,1661.32
Independents39,99310.182
Total392,667100.0018
Registered voters/turnout1,425,70527.5%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Wasit Governorate[]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Sadrist Movement56,36416.205+2
Wasit Independents Bloc30,9188.891
Alliance of Nation State Forces18,6275.351−1
Fatah Alliance17,5845.051−1
State of Law Coalition16,2504.6710
Other parties86,08524.74
Independents122,12035.103
Total347,948100.0012
Registered voters/turnout855,86141.0%
Source: Rudaw,[29] IHEC

Government formation[]

The government formation process is still underway.

On 18 November Muqtada al-Sadr said he would like to form a majority government.[30]

On January 9, the newly elected parliament met for the first time in the Green Zone to elect the parliament speaker and two deputies. After a chaotic first parliamentary session which resulted in senior interim parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashahadani falling ill and being taken to hospital.[31] However, after that Sunni lawmaker and current parliament speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi was re-elected for a second term,[32] with Shakhawan Abdulla, from the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Hakim Zamili, from the Sadrist Movement.[33] The Kurdistan Democratic Party, Sadrist Movement and Progress Party (Iraq) succeeded in fulfulling all three positions due to the candidates of each bloc voting for eachother.[33] This resulted in the Shiite Pro-iran factions in parliament disregard the outcome and claim they have 88 seats,[34] and more than the Sadrist Movement. Parliament was then temporarily suspended but later was able to resume again after a review by the Iraqi Supreme Court.[35]

According to the Constitution of Iraq a president must be selected before 30 days after the election of the parliament speaker.[36] Incumbent President Barham Salih was chosen by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan to run for a potential second term as presdient, while the Kurdistan Democratic Party selected former foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari to run for the post, a second attempt for the presidency for the Kurdistan Democratic Party.[36]

Notes[]

  1. ^ The distribution of the number of electoral districts in each governorate relies on the number of quota seats for women multiplied by 3 or 5 seats for the electoral district depending on the governate’s population size.

References[]

  1. ^ Staff writer (22 January 2021). "Iraq's general elections pushed to October". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Infographic: All you need to know about Iraq's election". Al Jazeera. 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Iraqi cabinet votes to delay general election until October 10". Al Jazeera. 19 January 2021. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  4. ^ "تعليمات توزيع المقاعد لانتخابات مجلس النواب العراقي 2021". Independent High Electoral Commission (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Iraq's Electoral Preparations and Processes Report No. 4 (10 December 2020)". UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021 – via Reliefweb.
  6. ^ "قانون انتخابات مجلس النواب العراقي : رقم (٩ (لسنة ٢" (PDF). Ministry of Justice (in Arabic). 11 May 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Muqtada al-Sadr's Boycott of Iraq Elections: A Political Tactic or a Strategic Decision?". Emirates Policy Center. 2 August 2021. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Iraq's Communist Party pulls out of election race". Rudaw. 24 July 2021. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  9. ^ Sura Ali (16 July 2021). "Christians will not participate in Iraqi elections: Cardinal Sako". Rudaw. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Boycotting Iraqi elections will not solve anything: UNAMI chief". Rudaw. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  11. ^ "Moqtada al-Sadr says he will participate in Iraq general election". Al Jazeera. 27 August 2021. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. ^ "حزبی سۆسیالیست كاندیده‌كانی خۆی له‌ چه‌ند بازنه‌كه‌یه‌ك له‌ به‌رژه‌وه‌ندی پارتی ده‌كشێنێته‌وه". Kurdistan24 (in Kurdish). 9 October 2021. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Soldiers, prisoners, displaced people vote early ahead of Iraq election". Reuters. 8 October 2021. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  14. ^ "UPDATED: Iraq's electoral commission reports just over 42 percent voter turnout". Kurdistan24. 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  15. ^ @IHECOfficial (11 October 2021). "