MP Majid Shingali Says Sadrist Movement may seek one-year election delay

BAGHDAD — Kurdish lawmaker Majid Shingali said political sources have indicated that the Sadrist movement may be seeking a one-year postponement of Iraq’s parliamentary elections to reconsider its participation, though no formal request has been made.

“Political sources say the Sadrist movement has requested a one-year postponement to think about the options for participating in the elections, but there is nothing official about that,” Shingali, member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s faction, said during an interview with Al-Dijla TV.

“All we have left of the democratic process are two things: parliamentary elections and their constitutional timings. If we go toward postponing them, we will lose everything remaining of democracy, and this is the most dangerous thing that could be called for,” he said.

The Iraqi cabinet this week declared that elections have been set for Nov. 11. 

Iraq’s Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shiite political parties supporting the current government, said on Monday that no party has the right to delay the upcoming legislative elections, calling on the government to ensure conditions are in place for a fair and timely vote by the end of the year.

On March 25, 2025, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met with Omar Ahmed Mohammed, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners at the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), to discuss preparations for Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections. According to a statement from the prime minister’s office, the meeting focused on ensuring a smooth and organized voting process. A day earlier, the IHEC had begun updating the national voter register — a process scheduled to last one month.

Excerpts of Shingali’s interview with Al-Dijla TV:

All we have left of the democratic process are two things: parliamentary elections and their constitutional timings. If we go toward postponing them, we will lose everything remaining of democracy, and this is the most dangerous thing that could be called for. Postponing the elections is difficult, especially since the country is not going through a difficult phase like when Iraq lost a third of its territory in 2014, or when Baghdad was facing intense violence in 2010.

Going toward an emergency government is very, very difficult. Gathering two-thirds of parliament is not feasible, and that is the most important condition. As for the difficult circumstances we are going through, they are of our own making — we are the ones who appointed hundreds of thousands, and we are the ones who relied solely on oil. This is not the responsibility of the citizens or external parties; it is the responsibility of successive governments. The current government has many visions, but none of them have been implemented at all.

The brother who tweeted about the emergency government knows the general policies of those close to the Prime Minister, and knows the space in which he moves. The last Coordination Framework meeting gave it value and indicated there might be something behind it, although political sources say the Sadrist movement has requested a one-year postponement to think about the options for participating in the elections, but there is nothing official about that.

The current election law includes major problems and has caused imbalances in representation. It is unreasonable for a withdrawing MP from Diwaniyah to be replaced by an MP from Nineveh. I support laws that help large parties because small parties create instability in the political process.

There are discussions and dialogues about amending the election law, and the Hikma movement may join the supporters if a majority is reached. The biggest opponents are Sudani and the Taqaddum Party.