Iraq’s top Commission overturns election candidate, Bars another
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Thursday, Iraq’s Judicial Commission for Elections, under the Supreme Judicial Council, reinstated candidate Sajad Salem to the November 11 parliamentary race, while upholding the exclusion of Mohammed al-Daini.
According to an official document, Salem’s disqualification—a member of al-Badil (the Alternative) Coalition—was deemed “incorrect and contrary to the law” due to a flawed evaluation of evidence. The commission ruled that his televised remarks fell within the bounds of free expression and did not violate legal standards.
Al-Badil, led by Adnan al-Zurfi, comprises 11 parties, including the Iraqi Communist Party (Raed Fahmi), National Independence (Sajad Salim), al-Bayt al-Watani, and al-Watani (Hussein al-Gharabi).
Meanwhile, the commission rejected al-Daini’s return, ruling that the National Sovereignty (al-Siyada) Alliance candidate had “violated the principles of good conduct and behavior.”
The Sovereignty Alliance, led by Khamis al-Khanjar, won 71 seats in the 2021 elections, making it Iraq’s largest Sunni bloc at the time. However, the alliance later fragmented following the withdrawal of the Taqadum alliance, headed by former parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi.
The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) had earlier reinstated al-Daini on October 13 after a prior exclusion over a lawsuit accusing him of “insulting the Iraqi people.”
IHEC has disqualified more than 800 candidates to date on grounds including de-Baathification, criminal records, corruption allegations, and incomplete documentation.
