Iraq election commission disqualifies 46 candidates over education and gender quota violations

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission announced Saturday that 46 candidates have been excluded from the upcoming parliamentary elections after their political parties failed to comply with nomination rules related to education and gender quotas.

Emad Jameel, head of the commission’s media team, told the Iraqi News Agency that the disqualifications resulted from ongoing reviews of candidate lists submitted by various political alliances. The review process will continue through the end of July.

Under Regulation No. 3 of 2005, no more than 20% of a party’s candidates can possess only a diploma or secondary school certificate. Jameel said some party lists exceeded this limit, with up to 11 such candidates included, prompting their replacement with nominees holding bachelor’s degrees.

The same regulation also mandates that women comprise at least 25% of each list. Jameel said three male candidates were removed to ensure compliance with the gender requirement.

Iraq’s sixth parliamentary term is scheduled to be elected on Nov. 11, 2025, with official campaigning set to begin on Oct. 9.