The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) is facing criticism after disqualifying multiple candidates from the upcoming 11 November parliamentary elections, just days after the official campaign period began. The move has raised fresh concerns over the commission's independence, amid allegations of political interference by Iran-aligned ruling factions.
Sajjad Salem, a sitting MP and Alternative Alliance candidate in Wasit province, is among the disqualified. IHEC first barred him in August. A court reinstated him in September. On 7 October, IHEC's Commissioners Council again revoked his candidacy, citing "insulting participants in Ashura religious processions."
The commission cited Article 7 of Iraq's electoral law, approved the decision by majority, and ordered immediate implementation.
Observers argue that the widespread condemnation of these rulings reflects a broader campaign to suppress reform-driven candidates, particularly those linked to the push for political change that erupted in 2019, known as "the Tishreen" uprising.
"Sajjad Salem's exclusion is part of a campaign to sideline supporters of the Tishreen Revolution and expose abuses by ruling parties," political analyst Ahmed Al-Adhadh told The New Arab. "These pressures show ongoing attempts to weaken secular and independent candidates."
IHEC spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalai could not be reached for comment.
Salem said his disqualification followed a pic.twitter.com/KATPkkIR8x
— سجاد سالم (@sajadShussein) October 7, 2025 ">speech on the Tishreen protests' fifth anniversary, where over 800 were killed. In the speech, he stated: "The killers of protesters during Muharram also run processions, the Husseiniyas, and participate in rituals."After the Commission's decision, Ihsan al-Shamari, head of the Iraqi Strategic Thinking Centre, warned on social media that continued exclusions could delegitimise the elections.
Salem's public remark, calling a senior Kataib Hezbollah official a "terrorist," contributed to his disqualification. Salem, an independent MP backed by the Tishreen movement, denied the accusation that Russian-Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov incited conflict among Iraq’s Shia factions. Kataib Hezbollah accused Tsurkov of links to the Tishreen movement.
Salem insisted Tsurkov's abduction was for ransom, not ideology. He argued the group sought to hide embarrassment after learning of her Israeli citizenship. Salem added that no deals were involved in her release, which was announced by the Iraqi government, not Kataib Hezbollah.
Tsurkov, a Princeton doctoral candidate, was abducted in March 2023 in Baghdad's Karrada district. Later, a video appeared of her speaking Hebrew and claiming ties to Israeli intelligence while appealing to end Israel's war on Gaza.
On 9 September 2025, the Iraqi government announced her release and transfer to the US embassy in Baghdad, after which she left Iraq. Tsurkov, an Israeli and Russian citizen, entered Iraq using her Russian passport to research Shia militias.
IHEC also disqualified Mohammed al-Daini from the National Sovereignty Alliance, representing Baghdad, as well as Khaled al-Mafraji and Saddam Hussein Habib from the Arab Alliance in Kirkuk.
The disqualifications have reignited debate about the fundamental question dividing Iraq's politics: whether the electoral process genuinely promotes the rule of law and reform, or if it is repeatedly compromised by political pressure and exclusion of reformist voices.
On 1 October, IHEC confirmed that 7,768 candidates had been approved to run, with over 70 per cent of them being men. The Commission registered 31 alliances, 38 parties, and 75 independent lists.
After closing registration in May, IHEC sent candidate names to oversight, judicial, and security bodies, such as the Accountability and Justice Commission. Eight previously barred candidates were reinstated in September, just before the 3 October campaign launch.
Despite procedural reforms, critics argue that the recent disqualifications of candidates threaten electoral legitimacy and credibility, thereby intensifying doubts about whether Iraq's vote will lead to genuine political reform or reinforce the status quo.