Expert warns of coercive vote-buying ahead of Iraq’s parliamentary elections

BAGHDAD — A leading election expert warned this week that vote buying in Iraq has become more public, coercive, and widespread in the lead-up to the country’s Nov. 11 parliamentary elections — with some regions seeing what he described as the “purchase of entire candidates.”

Hogir Chato, general coordinator of the Shams Network for Election Monitoring, told AlSharqiya that vote buying has moved beyond individual transactions to more systematic and aggressive methods.

“There is no buying of election cards; rather, it is vote buying,” he said. “A card is useless without its holder and cannot be used for voting on its own.”

Chato said some individuals have publicly admitted to selling their votes in exchange for items as basic as car tires. He cited Baghdad as a hotspot for vote trading, attributing the phenomenon to low voter turnout and high participation from politically affiliated state employees during the 2021 elections.

“I call it the ‘election of employees,’ because many attendees are state employees,” Chato said.

He also raised concerns about the influence of tribal leaders and armed groups on the electoral process.

“Certainly, such a candidate would pressure those fighters, their families, and friends to vote for him,” he said, noting reports that some candidates are demanding supporters bring in five to 10 votes each.

With more than 7,000 candidates competing for 329 seats in Iraq’s Council of Representatives, Chato said the heightened competition is exacerbating unethical campaign practices.

In response to growing concerns, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission on Monday announced the formation of monitoring committees to document electoral violations. The move follows a broader warning issued Sunday that individuals or political entities involved in buying or selling biometric voter cards, or using government resources for electoral promotion, could face criminal prosecution and disqualification from the race.

Excerpts from Chato’s interview with AlSharqiya:

There is no buying of election cards; rather, it is vote buying. A card is useless without its holder and cannot be used for voting on its own. Vote buying has become open, with some individuals publicly saying they sold their votes in exchange for a car tire. The government must implement strict measures, such as disqualifying the candidate and other actions.

There is vote buying, coercion, and pressure on people to vote—not just one soldier—and these are not isolated cases. A person who commands a tribal or popular following should be barred from running for office, because the leader of a force has thousands of fighters receiving monthly salaries for years, making their loyalty personal. Certainly, such a candidate would pressure those fighters, their families, and friends to vote for him. I’ve heard that members are required to bring in five to ten votes, and all of this violates the law.

We have 329 parliamentary seats and 7,000 candidates, which means that 6,671 will lose. This increases competition even within a single electoral list.

Some parties require a candidate to have 1,000 to 2,000 supporters to be included on their list. This is not direct vote buying, but they use the term “who supports you.” Where would someone get 2,000 votes unless the candidate has a large tribe or makes major promises?

Baghdad is the area where vote buying is most widespread, for two reasons: low voter turnout and the fact that most of those who participated in the 2021 elections so far are affiliated with parties, support parties, or are party members. I call it the “election of employees” because many attendees are state employees. Only a very small number are ordinary citizens who have renewed their biometric cards and have not yet decided who to vote for, making them the target of intense competition.

In Sunni-majority areas, vote buying continues due to the nature of the political parties there. For example, we have not heard of the Sadrist Movement buying votes because it knows its voter base, as is the case with other Shiite parties.

In Anbar, for example, it is not just the vote that is bought, but the candidate himself. Before campaigns even start, we see candidate (A) moving to bloc (B), and so on. It is not just about a voter and five or twenty people selling their votes, but an entire candidate along with his voters.