Monitors cite hundreds of violations in Iraq’s vote but call election day peaceful overall

BAGHDAD — The coalition of national networks and organizations monitoring Iraq’s 2025 parliamentary elections said in its final report Wednesday that while election day was largely peaceful, observers documented hundreds of procedural and technical violations across all 18 governorates.

The coalition deployed 5,089 observers nationwide and received 18,168 field reports covering the general vote held November 11. It said turnout reached 41% of all registered voters and 56% among those holding biometric voting cards.

The Independent High Electoral Commission previously reported national turnout above 55%, or more than 12 million voters, when combining both the general and special ballots.

The coalition described the vote as “mostly calm and orderly,” but cited several recurring issues affecting transparency. Observers recorded 501 cases of banned campaign activity near polling centers, 415 polling stations that failed to fully implement opening procedures, and 382 instances of unauthorized mobile phone use or photography.

Technical disruptions were also reported, including 285 cases of voters unable to cast ballots due to system errors and 218 stations where equipment failed. The coalition said 107 polling stations experienced problems transmitting results electronically, and 70 stations reported delayed printing of result tapes.

Monitors noted 359 cases where observers were prevented from following the counting process and 337 cases where they were removed during vote tallying. The report also documented 237 restrictions on observer movement, 112 cases of threats or intimidation, and 73 incidents involving violence. It said, however, that “overall security performance was acceptable,” citing 41 security incidents nationwide.

While the coalition praised improvements compared with previous elections — including fewer suspended polling stations and limited discrepancies between manual and electronic counts — it warned that “irregularities in observer access, campaign activity, and technical reliability must be addressed to strengthen public trust.”

The evaluation rated transparency as “very high” in 732 stations and “high” in 735, with weaknesses identified in 40. Election staff performance was described as “excellent” in 739 stations and “very good” in 751, while 38 were rated “weak.”

The report urged authorities to strengthen oversight, prohibit campaigning near polling centers, improve technical systems and verification devices, and ensure observers can monitor all stages without restriction.

The coalition concluded that while the elections were peaceful overall, “ensuring transparency and credibility remains essential for Iraq’s stability and democratic development.” It reaffirmed its commitment to “promoting free and fair elections that reflect the true will of the Iraqi people.”