Al Mayadeen English

As Iraq gears up for its upcoming parliamentary elections on November 11, 2025, competition is intensifying among over 7,000 candidates representing 31 coalitions, 38 parties, and 75 independent lists, all vying for 329 seats in the Iraqi Council of Representatives. Baghdad holds the largest share with 71 seats, followed by Nineveh with 34 and Basra with 25. The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has disqualified more than 800 candidates under Iraq's Accountability and Justice Law or for legal violations, while also distributing over 1.5 million biometric voter cards since late September. Major political forces, including Prime Minister Mohammad al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Alliance, Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition, and Qais al-Khazali’s Sadiqoun List, are expected to shape the race; notably in the absence of Muqtada al-Sadr’s movement, which is boycotting the vote along with other key alliances.