“Victory Alliance” flags sectarian rhetoric, resource abuse
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The Victory Alliance (Al-Nasr,) led by former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, warned on Saturday of the rising tide of sectarian campaigning, political money, and abuse of state resources as a direct threat to the integrity of Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
Speaking to Shafaq News, alliance spokesperson Aqeel al-Rudaini, identified these practices as "among the most serious challenges" to the integrity of the electoral process.
Al-Rudaini observed that the launch of the campaign season has revealed a stark imbalance among candidates. “There are no unified standards or equal opportunities,” he remarked, highlighting how certain parties are backing their candidates with substantial financial and institutional support, while others are left without even basic means of campaigning.
He denounced the “increasing use of political money and sectarian propaganda,” describing it as “blatant and disturbing” in some campaigns. “Such tactics conflict with democratic values and threaten social unity and civil peace,” he added.
Al-Rudaini called on Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to act decisively against any sectarian or discriminatory language employed in campaign messaging.
Read more: Elections on schedule, legitimacy in doubt: Iraq heads toward November vote
While noting that some candidates neither hold public office nor access state funds, he cautioned that others are “leveraging government resources and their official positions to advance their campaigns,” thereby compromising the fairness and integrity of the election.
He further demanded strict monitoring by both the government and the IHEC of any entity misusing public funds or promoting sectarian narratives. “Such violations not only breach the law but also undermine public confidence in state institutions,” he warned.
The Victory Alliance had earlier declared in June that it would not directly contest the elections, opting instead to support the National State Forces Alliance. It attributed this decision to the overwhelming influence of political money and the absence of firm enforcement mechanisms, describing the November 11 elections as susceptible to fraud and vote-buying.
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