Electoral Commission says it is ‘not subject to pressure’ as 647 candidates excluded

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission said Sunday that 647 candidates have been excluded from the upcoming parliamentary elections so far, with only three reinstated through court rulings.

“The commission is not subject to any pressure and operates in accordance with what is stipulated by law as an executive body,” the commission’s legal adviser Hassan Qabas told the Iraqi News Agency.

The sixth Council of Representatives is scheduled to be elected on Nov. 11, with campaigning set to begin on Oct. 9.

Qabas said the law requires the commission to submit candidate names to 13 vetting bodies, including the Defense and Interior ministries, the Integrity Commission, the Accountability and Justice Commission, the National Security Service and the Intelligence Service.

“The commission is obliged to implement what comes from those bodies, and if there are indicators that necessitate exclusion, the decision is taken in accordance with legal procedures,” Qabas said. “All exclusion decisions are subject to appeal, and any candidate who believes they have been wronged has the right to resort to the competent judicial authority.”

Candidates or parties have three days to appeal or replace an excluded nominee once notified, he added. Courts must then issue a ruling within 10 days. If a court overturns an exclusion, the candidate is reinstated; if it upholds the decision, the exclusion stands.