Hoda Jassim (Baghdad)
The parliamentary elections that took place in 2021 in Iraq, against the backdrop of massive protests that claimed the lives of thousands of demonstrators, motivated a large young generation to run in the provincial council elections expected to be held next year.
And the seats that young people obtained in the parliament, whether within the “Emtidad” movement emanating from the protest movements, or independently, about 30 seats, gave an additional impetus to others, to prepare for the provincial elections or to enter the political arena in general.
A number of Iraqi youth in several provinces hold regular meetings to prepare for and participate in the local elections.
Safaa, a civil activist from Dhi Qar Governorate, told Al-Ittihad that he and a group of young people who participated in the 2019 protests are preparing to get votes in the local council elections, expecting that the youth will get the highest numbers in the elections.
In turn, Rafie Hammadi, who works as an engineer in one of the institutions, considered that he would enter the political arena in order to fulfill the promise he made to himself and his colleagues to change the reality of the poor and provide them with services through his proximity to the decision-making centers when he wins.
The Iraqi Council of Representatives had dissolved the provincial councils in response to the demands of the popular protests that began in 2019, due to the escalation of disputes between the members of these councils, and their cause of waste of public money and the spread of financial and administrative corruption in their work.
Despite the political differences over the election law and its provisions regarding voter counting, the age of the candidate, the number of council members, and the method of voting, the government of Muhammad al-Sudani announced through its government program that it promises to hold local elections during the next year. A few days ago, Al-Sudani held a joint meeting with Parliament Speaker Muhammad Al-Halbousi to discuss the support of the Independent High Electoral Commission and its preparations for holding provincial elections.
According to a statement by Al-Sudani’s office: “A joint meeting was held with the Speaker of Parliament, Muhammad al-Halbousi, attended by the head of the Independent High Electoral Commission, Judge Jalil Adnan, and was devoted to discussing the obstacles facing the Commission’s work and preparations for holding the provincial elections.”
The legal expert, Ali Al-Tamimi, believes that the provincial council elections are still valid by virtue of Article 122 of the constitution, and they cannot be canceled except by amending the constitution.
Al-Tamimi added in statements to Al-Ittihad: that these councils are within the mechanism of governance in Iraq and the democratic system, and therefore elections must be held faster to avoid any legal violations that may occur.
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