Iraq finally and officially announces parliamentary elections for this November

Iraq has finally designated 11 November 2025 as the date for parliamentary elections, as confirmed by a statement from Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's media office following a vote by the Iraqi Cabinet earlier today.

This announcement comes amid a bunch of intense debates over proposals to amend the electoral law, extend the lifespan of the current parliament, and establish an emergency cabinet. 

The Iraqi High Electoral Commission (IHEC) confirmed on Wednesday that it is prepared to oversee the elections on the designated date. In a statement, the commission's spokesperson, Jumana Al-Ghlay, emphasised that the IHEC is fully ready to manage the process.

For her part, Iraqi lawmaker Sarwa Abdul Wahid took to social media platforms to assert that setting the elections for 11 November demonstrates the government's commitment to ensuring a safe and secure voting environment. 

She dismissed suggestions that amendments to the electoral law were being considered to obstruct the elections, stating, "Any talk about amending the law is merely an attempt to block the process and extend the term of this unproductive parliament. The Federal Court has ruled against extending the tenure of elected councils, and we have successfully cancelled the extension of the regional parliament's term."

The elections in November will be the sixth round of parliamentary contests since the 2003 US-UK invasion and occupation of Iraq. The government now faces mounting pressure following claims that some members within the ruling Coordinating Framework have been advocating for delays.

However, the Framework itself recently rejected any proposals to postpone the elections, insisting that they will proceed in line with constitutional deadlines.

The current Iraqi legislature, which commenced on 9 January 2022, is scheduled to conclude on 8 January 2026. According to the Iraqi Constitution, new elections must be held at least 45 days before the parliamentary term expires. Consequently, the next vote was expected to be held in late November 2025.

Since the first legislative elections in 2005—following a brief period during which the National Assembly sat for less than a year—Iraq has conducted five subsequent rounds of voting. The most recent election in October 2021 saw a revision of the electoral law. 

Unlike previous elections, which were conducted under a single-district system per province, the 2021 vote was held under a multidistrict arrangement following sustained public pressure. In March 2023, the Iraqi parliament approved a third amendment to the electoral law, reverting to a single-district system for each province.