(Photo: Al-Sudani's media office)
Monitor
Al-Sudani launches ‘Participate’ campaign to mobilize youth ahead of November elections
BAGHDAD – Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani launched the “Participate” initiative Friday evening, urging Iraq’s youth to take an active role in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The campaign, organized by the Supreme Council for Youth and attended by over two thousand participants from across Iraq, aims to boost electoral engagement among young voters.
“Approximately 29 million citizens are eligible to vote, 19 million of whom are youth,” Al-Sudani said. “Their participation would shift the balance and sustain the momentum of progress and development.” The initiative involves over 10,000 youth working to raise awareness through outreach efforts, including seminars, festivals, and voter education activities.
Iraq’s next parliamentary elections are scheduled for Nov. 11, 2025. The electoral commission has also extended the deadline for political coalitions to register their participation until the end of working hours on May 14.
Statement from Al-Sudani’s media office:
Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani oversaw the launch of the “Participate” (Sharek) initiative on Friday evening, which was developed by the Supreme Council for Youth to encourage and enhance youth engagement in the upcoming electoral process. The launch event, held in the capital Baghdad, was attended by over two thousand young men and women from all Iraqi provinces.
Following the launch, Prime Minister Al-Sudani updated his voter registration information, calling on youth to participate widely in the elections. He noted that approximately 29 million citizens are eligible to vote, 19 million of whom are youth—the true architects of the future. He urged them to take the lead in the elections just as they did in the fight against ISIS, stressing that updating voter records is especially vital for youth, as they are the drivers of change. Their participation, he said, would shift the balance and sustain the momentum of progress and development.
The Prime Minister commended the efforts of the Independent High Electoral Commission, the executive administration of the Supreme Council for Youth, and the mobile youth teams working alongside the IHEC to raise awareness and boost participation. He reaffirmed that the government’s program has supported the holding of provincial council elections after years of suspension, as well as elections in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq—and now strongly supports the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The “Participate” initiative, which will continue through election day, involves more than 10,000 young men and women in awareness teams promoting the importance of elections through distribution of informative materials, as well as organizing seminars and educational festivals. The initiative also includes 1,000 youth working as guides, with active contributions from the National Youth Climate Change Team, the National Team for Persons with Disabilities, the Youth Ambassadors Team, and several civil society organizations.
