Iraq’s civil movements struggle to unite before 2025 parliamentary elections

Civil movements and political groups in Iraq, both emerging and traditional, have been meeting in recent days to form alliances ahead of the country's upcoming parliamentary elections, though doubts persist about the effectiveness of these efforts.

Traditional civil movements, despite contesting previous elections, are widely seen by Iraqi voters as having failed to bring about real political change or implement promised reforms, including ending sectarian power-sharing and rotating political office.

According to civil activist sources, civil movements could split into two alliances, many composed of groups with little popular support, and some reportedly funded by powerful traditional parties.

Around twenty political groups - including the Nazil Akhud Haqqi Movement, the National Home Party, and the Our Cause Current - recently met to discuss a unified electoral coalition. However, the outcome generated little public reaction, even among civil society elites.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Communist Party and its traditional allies are seeking a broader civil electoral alliance, promoting a platform of reform against corruption and sectarianism. Yet younger activists have largely rejected these efforts, distrusting groups that previously entered government through the power-sharing system.

The collapse of the Qiyam Alliance after the 2023 provincial elections, where it won six seats but none for its civil party members, further weakened the momentum of civil politics. Many Iraqis view new civil parties as little different from traditional ones, doubting their clarity of goals and funding sources.

"The idea of alliances and elections has lost much of its impact and significance among Iraqis due to widespread despair over achieving real change," political activist Ali al-Hajimi told The New Arab's Arabic language edition, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

He added that "religious and traditional parties managed to buy off some leaders of the new civil movements and even registered new parties under civil and democratic titles".

A member of a new political movement said that "the strongest scepticism towards civil movements comes from traditional party media outlets, accusing us of receiving foreign support," speaking to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

He stressed that 'most of the new civil parties are led by former protestors' and that they are working to "encourage voters to create a real political alternative".

"Today, civil forces have achieved good understandings that could be relied upon to form a broad civil electoral alliance," independent MP Sajad Salim also told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. He emphasised that unity was necessary given "the ongoing violations of public and private freedoms, instability, and the spread of uncontrolled weapons".

However, in comments to Al-Araby, political analyst Abdullah al-Rikabi warned that "the current election law is designed to serve major parties with financial power and geographical influence", leaving civil parties at a significant disadvantage.

The Iraqi parliamentary elections are set to be held on 11 November this year.