EU-funded project to monitor Iraq's parliamentary elections

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, three Iraqi civil society organizations—Ain, Shams, and Tamouz— launched a European Union-funded national project aimed at monitoring the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections, strengthening electoral transparency, and encouraging civic participation.

Speaking with Shafaq News, the project director, Salah Areibi, noted that the initiative will cover all 19 provinces, with a core focus on deploying field teams, overseeing electoral procedures, and carrying out awareness campaigns.

These teams will also provide training workshops designed for a broad range of social groups, particularly young people, fostering a more inclusive engagement in the voting process.

Mohammed al-Jubouri, one of the project participants, described the initiative as a meaningful step toward enabling citizens to play a more active role in shaping Iraq’s political landscape. He also emphasized to Shafaq News that the project goes beyond Election Day monitoring, extending to result announcements and any developments that could affect the fairness of the process.

Moreover, Loay al-Kakayi, head of the Independent High Electoral Commission’s (IHEC) office in Kirkuk, confirmed the commission’s support for the initiative, noting that all required facilitation will be made available to ensure that the monitoring teams can carry out their duties effectively.

Notably, Iraq is scheduled to hold its legislative elections on November 11. Nearly 29 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, with 338 political coalitions registered to date. Of these, 106 have expressed interest in participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections.