Lawmaker seeks probe on payments for disqualified candidates
Shafaq News - Baghdad
On Monday, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan lawmaker Suzanne Mansour called for an investigation into reports that disqualified election candidates paid large sums of money to change their status and regain eligibility to run.
In a press conference held at the parliament building, Mansour expressed confidence in the judiciary and the Independent High Electoral Commission "in implementing procedures of justice and accountability, and their effective role in ensuring the success of the elections."
Earlier, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced that 627 candidates have been disqualified out of 7,440 applicants. 290 candidates were excluded under accountability and justice measures, and 106 due to criminal restrictions. According to the IHEC, four candidates were disqualified for forgery, and 163 replacement requests have been submitted by electoral lists.
