Old faces, new money fuel Iraq’s 2025 vote
Shafaq News
Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections on November 11, 2025, are set to entrench the dominance of political elites, defying widespread public disillusionment with a stagnant and ineffective legislature. While most parties are expected to lose significant ground, observers warn that veteran powerbrokers—fortified by vast financial resources—are well-positioned to tighten their hold on the political arena.
Old Figures, New Cycle
Although the fifth parliamentary term faced wide criticism for legislative stagnation and oversight failures, figures themselves or their representatives, such as Nouri al-Maliki, Hadi Al-Ameri, Ammar Al-Hakim, Mohammed al-Halbousi, Khamis Al-Khanjar, Qais Al-Khazaali, Masoud Barzani, and Bafel Talabani, are widely expected to headline the electoral scene once again.
Arab tribal leader Muzahim Al-Hewitt told Shafaq News that many parties could see their seats halved compared to the last election. “People saw no real gains from this parliament. Services deteriorated, oversight vanished, and priorities shifted away from public welfare.”
Despite that, Al-Hewitt believes that the current government has scored points with project delivery in more stable security conditions, contrasting it with previous governments' focus on counterterrorism.
Political Money Tightens Its Grip
Former MP Kamel Al-Ghurairi emphasized that “All major players—Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish—have the money to buy votes, tribal loyalty, and public loyalty. That’s the biggest threat to change.”
He warned that electoral spending now reaches record highs, calling for stricter oversight by Iraq’s High Electoral Commission. “Unless there is real control, this vote-buying will block any effort to deliver real reform.”
Al-Ghurairi also advocated investigating the origins of wealth among political figures since 2003, though he admitted that political interference makes enforcement unlikely.
In turn, State of Law Coalition official Zuhair Al-Jalabi told Shafaq News, “The Field is now shaped by wealth, not platforms,” adding that the withdrawal of the Victory Alliance (Al-Nasr), led by former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, was driven by excessive spending and alleged misuse of state resources.
“The fact that a coalition like Al-Nasr is stepping back says a lot. Add to that the Sadrists’ continued boycott, and we have a distorted field.”
Pointing to broader geopolitical uncertainties, he suggested that regional tensions—especially following the Israel–Iran war—could further destabilize Iraq’s electoral environment.
