IHEC reinstates disqualified Diyala candidate

Shafaq News- Diyala

Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), the body responsible for overseeing elections, reinstated Taha Al-Majmai's candidacy on Wednesday and ordered his previously received votes to be recounted, a source within the commission told Shafaq News.

The source clarified that the decision does not automatically restore Al-Majmai's parliamentary seat, as the Federal Supreme Court, the country's highest constitutional judicial body, has already ratified the election results, leaving the court to determine whether he can return and, if approved, which seat he would occupy.

Al-Majmai, a winning candidate from the National Sovereignty Alliance (Al-Siyada), a major Iraqi Sunni political bloc led by Sarmad Al-Khanjar, was disqualified following a ruling by the Judicial Commission for Elections on an appeal filed by Ahmad Al-Mousawi, a losing candidate from the Sadiqoon Movement, allowing Nahida Al-Dayni, the first alternate on Al-Siyada's list, to secure his seat.

Iraq concluded its sixth parliamentary elections since 2003 on November 11, 2025, with the IHEC reporting a voter turnout of 57.38% in Diyala. The province has 14 parliamentary seats in the 329-seat Parliament, including four reserved for women.