Baghdad Municipality to bill candidates for damages caused by unauthorized campaign ads

BAGHDAD — The Baghdad Municipality will assess and charge candidates for damages caused by campaign materials placed in unauthorized locations, municipal spokesperson Uday Al-Jandil said Monday.

“The municipality will evaluate the damage caused by unauthorized campaign advertisements and estimate the costs, which will then be recovered from the candidates through the deposits they have lodged with the Independent High Electoral Commission,” Al-Jandil told 964media.

Earlier this week, the Iraq Green Observatory accused candidates of widespread environmental violations during the 36-day parliamentary election campaign and called for harsher penalties against offenders.

He said some candidates and political groups failed to comply with municipal regulations and placed promotional materials in prohibited areas.

Election posters are a pervasive sight during Iraqi campaigns, covering buildings, bridges, and public spaces throughout the country.

“Mosques, Husseiniyas, churches, bridges, government institutions, state properties, and pedestrian paths are all considered off-limits for placing campaign ads,” Al-Jandil said.

A total of 7,768 candidates are contesting this year’s parliamentary elections. Campaigning began on Oct. 3 and ended on Nov. 8, before the Nov. 11 vote.

Following the conclusion of Tuesday’s general vote, the municipality will request candidates to remove their posters. Any remaining materials will be removed by the municipality after the voting process ends.

Sunday’s special voting enabled over 1.3 million members of the security forces and 26,000 displaced individuals to vote. According to the Independent High Electoral Commission, turnout reached 82.52%, with more than 235,000 eligible voters not participating.